Secrets
by Shadowdancer96
Summary: Alec was born different; as a result he is self-conscious of his body. He is terrified of his boyfriend's reaction. Maybe he should be more afraid of the consequences of their reckless behavior…Yeah I know bad summary.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments series or its characters. Only the plot line of this story is mine.**

Maryse lay back on the soft pillows her husband had piled behind her and listened to the sweet cry of her newborn baby. She looked across the room where her husband Robert stood with the midwife getting ready to clean the babe in a tub of warm water. They slowly unwrapped the baby and lowered him into the tub. The midwife cleaned up the infant a little then both she and Robert went still.

"Boy or a girl darling?" Maryse called to her husband. She knew a warlock could have told her months ago but she wanted it to be a surprise. Besides, Valentine would have never allowed the two to visit a half-demon particularly while Maryse was pregnant.

"Dear, the child! Is it a boy or is it a girl?" She asked again laughing at how transfixed her husband seemed by the tiny creature. Then Robert turned and she saw her husband's face. It was clouded and dark, Maryse grew scared for her child.

"What's wrong is the baby alright?" She asked urgently, sitting up in the bed and craning her neck to see in the tub. Robert walked stiffly to the bed and sat down hard on the edge.

"The baby is different dear," He began, "the little one is…" Robert trailed off with a shrug, not knowing what to say. "Valentine can't know, he certainly won't approve of the child." He said as the midwife returned with their baby.

"They call ones like this hermaphrodites." The midwife said as she finally placed the little bundle into it's mothers arms. "It means that they have the sex organs of a male and a female." She clarified. Maryse looked up in shock, then reached down and removed the blankets covering her child. At first she saw a baby that was wholly male and breathed a sigh of relief, until her husband reached over and lifted the baby by it's ankles to present it's rear to her. From that view it was easy to see the female genitalia situated right behind the male ones.

"Oh, oh. How do we know what gender to treat the child?" She asked looking back to the midwife, who put her hands up in a surrender gesture.

"All guess work for now. Just pick one and be aware that the child might pick another as it grows." She said frankly. "A healthy young thing, lungs like a banshee." She added as she began to gather her things into a bag. "I won't be telling anyone about this, it isn't my business. After all you payed me to deliver a baby not gab about one." Both parent visibly relaxed at this statement. "However, people will be asking about the gender so I suggest you tell me what you choose before I go. It wouldn't do for us to be telling two different stories, now would it?" She finished as she snapped shut her black bag and stared expectantly at the new parents.

Maryse and Robert both stared down at the precious bundle. They still loved their child that much was doubtless. But how to decide what sex to raise the child as? Clearly, that wasn't a decision they were expecting to have to make. Maryse thought of how when she had first seen the baby she had thought it to be entirely male, she made the decision then.

"A boy, if anyone asks tell them we had a precious little boy." She said snuggling the baby close to her chest to nurse. She looked up at her husband questioningly.

"Yes, a boy. Tell them we named him Alexander." Robert said walking towards the midwife. He fished out the agreed upon amount, and a little extra to thank her for her silence, from his pocket. "If my wife and son are alright I think you can be getting on your way then." He said and led the midwife out of the room. After a short lecture about post-delivery complications and what to watch for he showed her out with a thanks and returned to his wife.

"He is beautiful Robert." Maryse said staring adoringly down at the baby nursing at her breast. Robert climbed into the bed next to her and gently stroked the layer of dark, soft down on his son's head.

"Valentine can never know dear. That means no one can know, inside of the Circle or out." He said and his wife nodded with understanding. Alexander would be raised as a boy, everyone around them would think he was a boy, no one outside of that room would ever know their child's secret.


	2. The Early Years

**A/N This chapter is awkward filler to explain some stuff before next chapter when the main plot line starts. Reviews are wonderful even if they are (constructive) criticism. Oh, BTW wow! I've got like three follows in less than in hour of having the prologue up! Since this is only my third thing published on here, only my second multi-chapter story, and my very first Mortal Instruments fanfic that's pretty exciting!**

Maryse and Robert were exiled to New York with Hodge not long after little Alec's birth, making it easier for them to keep their young son's secret. Additionally, both parents could breathe a sigh of relief that Valentine was dead and gone; he couldn't punish them for their child's "abnormality" if he was six feet under.

Over the years Maryse gave birth twice more, first to a daughter called Isabelle and then nearly six years later to a second son whom they named Max. It was right after Max was born that Maryse became aware that Alec's female side was going through puberty as well as the male side that had apparently been destined to be his dominant one even without his parents choosing it.

She often found her sweet boy crying in his room for no apparent reason and not long after he turned thirteen he began to complain of stomach aches that sounded suspiciously like cramps. Within the week he had gotten his first menstrual cycle.

In those first few months they discussed options, the three of them, Alec, Robert, and Maryse. Maryse and Robert had researched ways of helping their boy, both magical and mundane. Surgery was quickly dismissed but hormones were considered for quite some time along with a few magical solutions but ultimately the three chose to do nothing. Alec said that he was happy being a boy and didn't feel female at all but didn't have any need to end the menstrual cycles or rid himself of the extra organs in his body.

* * *

Alec felt wrong hiding his unique nature from his sister Isabelle as they grew older. This was particularly true once she began puberty. He wanted to help his younger sister, show her the best remedies for the dull ache of cramps and commiserate with her over the unfairness of it all when she got hormonal. So, with his parents' permission, he explained to Isabelle the differences between his body and a normal boy's and the similarities between his body and hers.

He always had his parents love and knew he was a good boy, well behaved and tidy. Alec never felt like he was a bad person, until the first night he dreamed about Jace. Alec was sure his reaction to his adoptive brother had something to do with the female hormones inside of him. It was deeply troubling to him, he felt as if he had lied to his mother and father. After all, he had said he was male, wholly and totally. As the dreams continued and he began to be barraged by the same sort of feelings even when he was awake his guilt grew deeper.

Years passed and Alec never said a word to anyone about the feelings, even after they began to expand to other men. Then at the age of sixteen he had broken down in his sister's room after she confronted him about the bottled up feelings he had towards Jace. It had been Izzy that finally said that forbidden three letter word, gay. Once he was presented with that option Alec realized he'd rather be psychologically female. He knew their parents would accept that much more readily than homosexuality because of his, confusing, physical nature. But it wasn't true, after that night spent crying with Isabelle he knew what he was.

It wasn't something that he was proud of and he guarded the secret with his life, keeping it close to his heart, right next to the other thing he wasn't supposed to tell people. Until the High Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane stepped into his life.


	3. Breakdown

**A/N Okay so I can't guarantee all the chapters will be this long but they will be longer than the first two I posted last night. In all fairness it was around 1:00 A.M. when I wrote those two but they were still pretty short compared to my normal writing.**

Alec straightened out his clothes one more time before knocking on his boyfriend's front door. He knew Magnus would be unimpressed by the black t-shirt and dark jeans paired with plain black converse given to him by Simon but he at least wanted to look put together. He smiled to himself when he became aware of the sound of Magnus coming to answer the door, yelling at Chairman Meow to get off the counter as he went.

His love threw open the door and immediately pulled him in.

"Alec!" He shouted joyfully, running back to the counter where the Chairman had already settled back in next to a bowl of fruit, and pushing the cat off again. Magnus ran back to his boyfriend once the cat was expelled from his perch and pulled him in close for a kiss. They broke for air and Magnus quickly whirled Alec around in his arms and pulled him to the couch where they sat.

"Whoa somebody's energetic today." Alec said laughing as he watched Magnus bounce on the couch.

"Well, I've been waiting for my honey all _week_." Magnus complained putting on his best pouting face and scooting closer to Alec. "How do you expect me to act?" He finished pulling Alec onto him so the younger man was straddling his hips. He kissed Alec lightly, then leaned back to look at his face.

"How did it go?" He asked gently. Alec knew he meant the hunt he and his siblings had been away on for the past six days.

"Not well. We couldn't find the demon that killed the fae kids. We suspect that it was a Greater Demon, obviously," Magnus nodded in agreement, only a Greater Demon could have caused the extensive physical damage to the large number of casualties in this case, "but we couldn't locate it or find any evidence of it's identity." Alec sighed and leaned in to rest his head on his boyfriend's shoulder.

"The Seelie Queen wasn't happy with our results to say the least." He murmured into the neon green fabric of Magnus's t-shirt. The warlock rubbed Alec's back and sighed.

"That woman wouldn't have been happy if you'd resurrected the children, returned them to their parents, and presented her with the demon's essence in a bottle to wear around her neck." Magnus said dryly. "It's best to not dwell on anything she says." He said in a tone that made it clear he'd lost sleep over the Seelie Queen's words before.

The two sat cuddling on the couch for quite a while. All the energy had gone out of the room at Alec's words. Magnus wondered if maybe he shouldn't have asked about the hunt. But then again, Alec was clearly upset about it so maybe it was better that he had said something instead of letting the feelings stay bottled up. Eventually Magnus's stomach rumbled from hunger and Alec leaned away from him chuckling.

"Hungry much?" He asked climbing out of Magnus's lap.

"Ever so slightly," Magnus replied blushing, sad to have Alec out of his lap. "really just a tiny bit peckish." He assured his boyfriend as he stood and stretched his arms above his head.

"Well then what'll it be? Taki's, take out, pizza?" Alec asked as he examined the contents of Magnus's refrigerator and cabinets. "There is some spaghetti up here, no sauce though." He said already moving towards the door, which indicated to Magnus that the pale boy really wanted to go out. He always did when he was stressed, being in public helped him block out his problems because he was to busy being aware of his surroundings to be paying any attention to his thoughts.

"I vote Taki's." Magnus said puling on a pair of green converse that matched his shirt and doing up the laces. Finishing he stood and walked over to the door, Alec followed and the two walked hand in hand down the stairwell and out into the street.

It was raining, a light summer shower, and the moon looked blurry through the streaming droplets. Alec hadn't realized it had grown dark in the past half hour he and Magnus had been together. He made a note to borrow Magnus's cellphone when they got to the restaurant so he could call Isabelle and tell her not to worry about him. He doubted that she would but Alec had told her he wouldn't be out very late.

The need was eliminated when they walked through the front door of Taki's to find Isabelle and Jace occupying their usual booth by the back corner. Magnus had been hoping for some private time with Alec but when Jace spotted the two of them and began waving them over Magnus could do nothing except walk over and take a seat opposite Isabelle. Jace had, considerately Magnus had to admit, moved to the same side as his adoptive sister so Alec and Magnus could have seats next to each other.

"Wasn't expecting to see you here." Jace said, he and Alec shared some sort of brotherly look Magnus didn't understand and then Alec mumbled something about food.

"We're glad to see you Magnus." Isabelle cut in over her brother's mumbling, she shot Jace yet another of the strange sibling communication looks, this one sharp and slightly ticked off.

"It's good to see all of you as well." Magnus replied as he idly flipped through the menu. "Knowing you're all home safe will help me sleep a little easier tonight." He said gazing at Alec, who was also flipping through a menu though much more intently than the warlock. An awkward silence fell over the table, the four only speaking to order and to thank the waitress for their food. It was only after the dishes had been cleared away and they were all nursing the last of their coffee that someone spoke again.

"So why did you guys decide to come out for food?" Jace asked as he played with a napkin, clearly trying to look disinterested.

"There wasn't much to eat at home." Alec replied quickly. Magnus felt his heart giddily skip a beat when Alec referred to the loft as "home" but he put it on a back burner when the severity of his love's tone registered in his mind. He looked over to see Alec glaring at Jace who was smirking in his usual self -confident way. What was that about?

"Oh well I just figured you two would want to be alone together." Jace continued. "You know, enjoying each other's," Jace paused and grinned devilishly while Alec's face turned beet red as he blushed. "company." He finished.

"Jace!" Isabelle hissed at him. "I told you to leave him alone!" The last word came out as a half screech which drew the attention of several other patrons. Isabelle blushed and slid down in the booth a little.

"You told him what?!" Alec asked, his face growing red again, though with anger this time. Magnus watched the scene unfolding before him with extreme interest and more than a little confusion. He had absolutely no idea what they were talking about, although it was clearly a subject Alec didn't want to discuss.

"Alec I just asked him to lay off with all the jokes and stuff. I know how much it bothers you when he…" Isabelle was cut off by Alec slamming his hands down on the table as he stood up.

"I'm not a fricking child Izzy! I don't need you to fight my battles for me I already told him…" Here Alec was cut off by Jace who uttered only one syllable of nonsense before being cut off by Isabelle.

"I know that, but he and I were talking about it…" Isabelle began but stopped when she saw her brother's face.

"Why would you do that?" Alec began, he sounded close to tears now. "Why couldn't either one of you just drop it like I asked?" He glared at Jace. "You just couldn't help being a prick about it," He swiveled his head to stare at Isabelle now. "and you couldn't keep your nose out of my business. I told him to drop it, don't go running around after me trying to _explain_ and _justify_. He's my brother and you're my sister and you two should understand when I don't want to discuss something personal that means don't talk about it and from now on if I tell you to drop it I never want to hear about it again, God damn it!" Alec screamed before running out of the restaurant.

The booth's remaining occupants stared at each other bewildered for a moment before Magnus got up, and after pulling some money out to pay for their food, chased after Alec into the rain.


	4. Fear

Magnus had no idea where Alec would have gone if he wanted to be alone so he headed back to the loft hoping his boyfriend had gone back there. When he arrived back at his home the door was slightly ajar and he could here crying, Magnus breathed a sigh of relief. He had been a little afraid Alec would run off somewhere no one would think to look for him.

But no, Alec was here in Magnus's loft, the bedroom based on where the noise was coming from. He pulled off his now soaked clothes so he was in only his boxers and went into the bedroom. His boyfriend was curled up on the bed, still dressed and dripping wet, it was cold in the loft which concerned Magnus. He didn't want Alec catching cold because he lay around in wet clothes. Walking over to the edge of the bed he sat down then crawled over to Alec's shivering and sobbing form. He tried to peel off the drenched black t-shirt the boy had on but Alec pulled it back down and moved Magnus's hands away.

"Baby please, you'll get sick. You're already half frozen." Magnus pleaded with Alec, he stood and fished some of the boy's clothes out of the dresser and held them out. Reluctantly Alec stood and went into the bathroom slamming the door. Once he heard the shower start he threw the clothes in the door and went to change the now wet bedding.

Alec stepped out of the shower just as he finished spreading out the comforter. The pale boy was wearing loose gray sweatpants and an overly large white t-shirt. He pushed his wet black hair out of his eyes as he climbed back on to the bed. Magnus followed him and pulled his love close to his chest. He was still in nothing but his underwear so he pulled a blanket over the two of them to keep warm and also to make it more difficult for Alec to run away again.

"What happened baby?" Magnus asked softly putting his arms around Alec as the boy did the same.

"Jace is just an arrogant ass who likes to run his mouth." He replied, his voice wavering with the threat of more tears.

"Well I know that but what about?" The warlock asked again.

"When we were on the hunt Jace kept making comments whenever I mentioned you or said I missed you." He said hesitantly.

"Comments? What sort of comments?" Magnus asked raising his eyebrows.

"Mostly about our sex life." Alec answered honestly.

"Oh." The elder of the men said now even more thoroughly confused than before. His own brother didn't know that he was still a virgin?

"Eventually I got tired of listening to him talk about it so I told him the truth because I thought it would shut him up." Alec continued. "But it didn't, he just laughed and started asking why we haven't, you know…had sex." He finished, blushing bright red. He looked up into Magnus's bright green cat eyes. "Does it bother you?" He said in a voice barely more than a whisper.

"Does what bother me baby?"

"That I won't sleep with you."

"No honey. I wish I understood why a little better but it doesn't bother me." He answered and kissed Alec gently.

"I told you Magnus, I don't…look right." Alec said. "I don't want you to see me without my clothes on."

"Okay baby, I know you don't want me to see you. But whatever it is, scars or a birthmark or whatever I don't care. I think you're gorgeous." Magnus said, staring adoringly at the beautiful boy in his arms. Alec gave a half-hearted smile and nodded before laying his head down on a pillow and closing his eyes. Magnus knew he was only pretending to be tired, Alec always found a reason to halt the conversation when this particular topic came up. He couldn't even begin to imagine what Alec thought was so bad about his body that Magnus would reject him over it.

Just as he was beginning to contemplate various possibilities however, a knock on his door forced him to desert his train of thought. Shuffling out of the bedroom he threw on a red silk robe with gold phoenixes embroidered on it. When he reached the door he stood on tiptoe and peered through the hole right above the knocker. There on his doorstep stood Catarina Loss, one of his best and oldest friends, who undoubtedly was only here because she wanted something. Magnus sighed and opened the door for her.


	5. Experimental

"Catarina, what brings you here tonight?" Magnus asked eyeing her suspiciously.

"I've come to ask a favor of you, but then you already knew that didn't you Magnus?" Catarina replied tossing her snowy white hair over a shoulder.

"I have to admit I suspected it. Would you like something to drink?" He asked walking to the kitchen to make himself a drink.

"No Magnus I'd actually rather just get this over with. I'm sure you are going to be an immature child about this and I am not looking forward to the headache such behavior will give me particularly since I must go to work in the morning." Catarina said sternly taking a seat in an armchair. Magnus returned to the living room and sat on the couch opposite his guest's chair.

"What is it that you want?" He asked. No need to beat around the bush, not when he could be in bed with Alec curled up next to him.

"I'm attempting to conduct an experiment for a warlock and his human girlfriend." She stopped here as if that simple statement should explain everything.

"Mmm, and?" Magnus prompted.

"They are both young, about twenty four I believe. Very kind and very much in love." She continued. Magnus made a get on with it gesture and Catarina sighed. "They have asked me to help them find a way to have a baby."

"Catarina that's…" He was cut off.

"Impossible? Ludicrous? Against the laws of science? Yes Magnus I am aware. Except that I am not sure that it's out of reach any longer. I'm sure you heard of what they're doing with mules and crossbred species of bird in Idris." Catarina said, she was excited now.

"I've heard they are using some sort of potion to cause otherwise sterile cross-breeds to produce offspring." He said nodding, the experiments had been a great success. Farming was already benefiting from the sale of this potion.

"If they can do it with animals Magnus why can't it be adjusted for warlocks?" She asked feverishly.

"I suppose there is no reason it can't but I'm still not sure what it is you want from me Catarina. You are the one who is so good with medicinal magic and potions." He said.

"I believe I am close to perfecting a draft of the potion but the problem is I have no one to test it on. The warlock who needs it is in Idris for the next few months on business and even if he were here I have reservations about giving it to him until I can see what effects it might have."

"I see your point, it's no good to test a potion on him only to find it inhibits the effect of future drafts." Magnus agreed nodding.

"Exactly. The last thing I want is to accidentally ruin whatever chance of having a child the two might have." Catarina concluded. She knew Magnus knew what she wanted of him so she simply sat back and watched him think. After a few moments he sighed and began to speak.

"Yes Catarina I will take your untested, potentially harmful potion and let you subject me to ridiculous amounts of medical testing as a result." He said.

"I don't appreciate the attitude or the sarcasm but thank you Magnus." Catarina rose to leave, having achieved her goal and Magnus escorted her to the door.

"I will call you later this week to set up the details." She said and strode out the door putting on a glamour as she went.

Magnus locked the door behind her and went back to bed. He looked over at Alec who was still fast asleep and collapsed onto the bed. Staring up at his ceiling he thought about what he had just agreed to and felt his head begin to ache.

"Ha, _my_ behavior induces headaches." He chuckled to himself and put his hands over his eyes.

"Oh, Catarina. What have you got me into?"


	6. Sisterly Advice

Upon returning to the Institute from Magnus's loft Alec immediately sought out his sister. Since it was still early and they all had time off because they'd just returned from an extended hunt he found Isabelle in her room. She was sitting cross legged on the floor using a hot glue gun to apply rhinestones in a heart shaped pattern to the back of a denim jacket.

"Where'd you get that?" Alec asked with a nod towards the jacket as he entered the room.

"I went out with Maia, like right before we left on that hunt and we found a ton of stuff in this cute little boutique by the river." She replied as she finished and cleaned up the melted glue sticking to her carpet. Alec sat at the foot of her bed and stared at his hands in his lap as he tried to compose his thoughts. His sister noticed his apprehension and joined him at the end of the bed.

"What's the matter?" Isabelle asked taking one of his hands and holding it in her own. Alec looked up to meet her gaze and tears immediately welled in his eyes.

"Is this a boyfriend problem?" Isabelle asked. Her brother nodded and started to speak but Isabelle held up a hand to stop him.

"Wait just a second." She told him climbing off the bed. She walked out of the room and was gone so long Alec was about to search for her when she returned. Isabelle had two blue mugs in her hand. She set them on her vanity then reached into a nearby drawer to pull out a small bottle of deep blue nail polish that shimmered in the light. She put the bottle into her pocket and picked up the two mugs again. Making her way back to the bed she sat cross legged facing her brother and he turned to face her as well.

Alec was surprised to see the mugs had hot chocolate in them, Izzy usually didn't like to make things like that. She handed him one mug then reached into her pocket to retrieve the bottle of polish. She sat it next to her and began to blow on the hot chocolate. Alec did the same and when he felt it must be cool enough, took a hesitant sip. Much to his surprise it was very good and he quickly drank the whole mug. Isabelle drained hers as well and then uncapped the nail polish bottle. She reached over and took one of Alec's hands in hers and started to paint his nails.

As she did she gazed at Alec to prompt him to begin talking. It was a ritual they had started many years ago and as much as he hated to admit it he enjoyed it.

"After the restaurant thing I went back to the loft and he found me there." He began and Izzy nodded, still focused on painting Alec's nails. "I told him about what Jace said and then I asked him if it bothered him that we've never…" Alec trailed off and hesitated, yes his sister was practically an adult but she was still his baby sister and saying the word _sex_ to her just seemed wrong.

"Never had sex?" Isabelle said for him and Alec cringed a little but confirmed it with a nod.

"Anyway, he said it didn't bother him but I can tell that it does a little. Not really the sex thing but more the fact I won't tell him why exactly." He finished.

"I told you, you should have just told him you weren't ready. That vague statement about being self- conscious about your body won't work on him much longer. He loves you too much to care about a weird birthmark or scar or whatever else he thinks you're hiding." Isabelle said bluntly, no need to beat around the bush.

"Yeah but I'm not hiding **just** a scar or a weird patch of skin Iz. What's he gonna think of me?" Alec asked.

"Are you really thinking of telling him?" Isabelle asked shocked, he'd never considered letting anyone else in on the secret. Only Alec, Isabelle and their parents knew the truth about him and his body.

"Yeah Izzy I really think that I might. He deserves to know the truth by now." He answered.

"Well then I guess what I think is that he is an eight hundred or something like that half demon and I'm sure he's seen some weird stuff in his time. He cares about you and I don't think the fact that you're different is going to make him feel any differently about you." She said, finishing his last nail and recapping the bottle.

"Maybe…" Alec stopped and shook his head with a smile. Isabelle reached over and hugged him tightly.

"I love you bubby." She said.

"I love you sissy." Was his reply. He broke the hug and kissed her on top of the head. She kissed him on the cheek then got up to retrieve a bottle of nail polish remover and some cotton balls for him so he wouldn't have to walk around in blue glittering nail polish but when she returned from her bathroom he was already leaving.

"I'll be back for that." He said pointing to the bottle of remover. "But I've got to go talk to somebody right now." With those vague parting words he strode out the door and down the hallway.


	7. Motherly Concern

Alec found his mother in the library, where he suspected she would be. Maryse was flipping through some book or another and cross referencing it with others she had laid out on the desk in front of her. She also had a notebook sitting on her lap where she was taking meticulous notes of whatever it was she was reading. Alec considered leaving because she looked so focused but as he turned to go she looked up and noticed him standing there.

"Alexander, did you need something?" She said slightly startled by his appearance. Her concentration had been so deep she hadn't heard him come into the room.

"I just wanted to talk mom." He said walking further into the room.

"Could it wait? I'm very busy here, as you can see, and I don't really have the time…" Alec cut her off.

"Mom now, please." He reached around the desk and pulled over the extra chair there without waiting for his mother's answer. Maryse heard the anxiety in her son's voice and immediately turned to look at him. His face was determined and he was clearly very nervous about something. She sighed.

"Alright now then." She agreed. Alec sat down. He seemed apprehensive and fidgeted in his chair quite a bit before speaking.

"Did you and dad wait until you were married to have sex?" He asked quickly.

"No." Maryse replied before clamping a hand over her mouth, eyes open wide in shock. She had always meant to tell her children that they had but his question came as such a surprise she couldn't help but answer truthfully. Alec ignored her reaction and continued his questioning.

"What made you decide to do it? How did you know you were ready?" He asked staring at his lap and blushing uncontrollably.

"Alec please tell me that _warlock_ isn't pressuring you to sleep with him!" She half yelled at her son.

"No! No. Mom he isn't like that, and his name is Magnus not 'warlock' or 'that warlock' or 'the warlock' or anything else like it!" Alec said angrily. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. "I am nineteen years old mom, almost twenty. Is it really that unreasonable for a teenage boy to ask questions about sex? Why do you automatically assume that Magnus has done something to pressure me into it?" Alec asked, calmer now but still fairly upset.

"You're right, I'm sorry Alexander. He has always been kind to you, it's just that you've never asked about this kind of thing before. I don't…what brought this on?" She asked both embarrassed at being chastised by her own son and confused by his sudden temper and odd questioning.

"I think I want to tell him mom." Alec admitted. It took his mother only seconds to realize what he meant.

"Alexander are you sure that is good idea? You haven't even told your own brother." Maryse said, looking concerned. Alec just laughed at this.

"Yeah, that would be because Jace is an ass Mother. I really thought you would have noticed by now. Are you going to answer my question or not? That's really all I wanted." Alec said severely causing his mother to flinch a little at her usually sweet tempered boy's harshness. Maryse took a deep breath and thought carefully about what to say next.

"I wanted to wait at first but once your father and I were engaged to be married I knew, or thought I knew, that I wanted to be with your father forever and we saw no reason to wait. I was so in love with him Alexander. I knew I was ready the day I looked in your father's eyes and couldn't imagine a world without those eyes looking back at me every day of my life." She finished and smiled at her son.

"Thanks mom." Alec said as he got up from his chair and kissed her on the cheek as he had done his sister. He made to leave the room but his other called out to him as he opened the door.

"Oh, and Alexander _please_ tell your sister I said for her to _stop_ painting your fingernails every time you two have some kind of serious conversation. Particularly if you aren't going to remove it." She called after her son. Alec just shook his head with a sigh and walked out of the library._ Well, _he thought, _she always did have to have the final word._


	8. Brotherly Love

Jace knocked gently on Alec's door. When he received no reply he pushed open the door and stepped inside and scanned the room. Perfectly made bed, closet open and impeccably tidy, desk perfectly organized. Yep, Alec definitely lived here. Clutter in his bedroom had always been one of the boy's major pet peeves. Jace smiled as he remembered the tie when the two boys had decided they wanted to share a room together. Despite the fact that Jace was also very clean and orderly Alec had been ripping his hair out by the end of the week due to the added belongings he didn't know where to place. Jace had moved back out for the sake of both their sanities only eight days after he had moved in.

He chuckled at the memory as he turned to leave the room. He jumped as he came face to face with Alec in the doorway.

"What are you doing in here?" Alec asked shoving past Jace into the room.

"I was looking for you. I knocked on the door but no one answered." Jace replied.

"So you decided you would just come into my room when I wasn't here and violate my personal space and privacy." Alec said cruelly. Jace was shocked, Alec didn't normally behave this way even when upset. He could count on one hand the times his brother had gotten short tempered with him. When Jace didn't respond Alec grew more upset and continued to speak.

"Well it shouldn't really be a surprise I guess. You're all about sticking your nose where it doesn't belong lately." He said crossing his arms over his chest.

"I came to apologize to you." Jace said in a tone that made it clear he felt Alec was the one who owed _him_ an apology for his current behavior.

"So that makes it okay for you to poke around in my room without permission when I'm not here? You came to apologize for a bad thing so now you get to do a new bad thing?" Alec asked.

"Look are you going to talk to me like a civilized person or not? I fucked up okay! I pried into your life and violated your trust in me by saying things I had no right to be saying particularly not in front of Magnus. I. AM. SORRY" Jace shouted. Alec stared at his brother for a moment trying to see if the words were sincere. It was hard to tell when Jace was being genuine but now it seemed that he really was sorry for what had happened at Taki's. Alec took a deep breath and let it out as a long sigh.

"I forgive you Jace. But only because you actually helped me in a way," Alec told his brother looking straight into his eyes. "and I swear on the name of every Angel known to the Nephilim that if you _ever_ act like that again I will make you pay." Alec said only half seriously, he just wanted Jace to understand that forgiveness didn't mean he was alright with what Jace had done. "You humiliated me." Alec continued. "You hurt me and you forced me into talking about things I wasn't ready to discuss with my boyfriend let alone with you." Jace started to speak but Alec held up a hand to stop him. "_Then_, instead of dropping it like I asked you just had to say something, in public, in front of Magnus."

"I didn't know it bothered you so much. Really, Alec there isn't anything wrong with waiting to have sex I just didn't think that you and Magnus hadn't, you know, done the deed yet. When I asked about it I thought you'd blush and stammer and then move on. I wasn't expecting you to tell me you were still a virgin." Jace said.

"Your apology has been accepted you can go now." Alec said not really wanting to discuss the matter any longer.

"Okay. I love you bro." Jace said before swooping in for an awkward hug. Alec stood stiffly in his brother's arms for a few seconds then Jace released him and ran from the room.


	9. Helping Out a Friend

Magnus entered the sterile, white hospital room and took a seat. It was a pretty standard exam room, toys in the corner for children, magazines on the shelf for their moms, the exam table covered in that awkward paper that rustles every time you move. Yeah, it looked fairly normal, to bad what they'd be using it for was nothing of the sort. He tapped his toes on the tile while he waited for Catarina. Magnus knew that this was a bad idea, potions like this one certainly had side effects and while most medicines would only give you a rash or some nausea magic tended to cause for more dangerous issues.

He didn't have long to worry as just then the blue-skinned, white-haired female warlock who had been one of Magnus's best friends for centuries entered carrying a syringe filled with a silvery liquid.

"Is that the poison thou dost intend to kill me with then?" Magnus asked dramatically placing a hand over his heart.

"Shut up Magnus." Was her only reply as she pulled out a clipboard and began to fill out some paperwork. "I'm going to need to get a baseline on some things before I give you the injection. Could you roll up your sleeve for me?" She asked. Magnus complied, undoing the cuff on his blue paisley button down and pulling it up to his shoulder.

"Must you always have so much glitter on?" Catarina asked while using an alcohol swab to clean a patch of skin on the inside of his elbow. She showed Magnus the now very sparkly swab before disposing of it in the toxic waste bin.

"I don't have to but I enjoy it immensely, and for the record I don't think anyone has ever died from coming into contact with glitter." Magnus said defiantly. Catarina rolled her eyes.

"It's all going in the toxic waste bin so I can dispose of it without anyone knowing what it is. There can't be any evidence of our experiment just lying around the hospital." She replied in a _well duh_ tone of voice.

"Right because hospital staff is constantly going through the regular waste baskets looking for any sign of warlocks conducting fertility experiments in their exam rooms." He said as she inserted a long needle into the sterilized patch of skin and drew a syringe full of blood. Magnus had never been to a mundane doctor before, at least not since he was a small boy hundreds of years ago, so he found himself intensely fascinated with the process. It was all interesting to him, the stethoscope, the blood pressure cuff, even the ophthalmoscope and Otto scope. However all too soon Catarina was ready to give him the mysterious injection.

"Remember Magnus," She said looking for his vein. "No crazy partying, no drinking, no drugs. At least not until I have a chance to see how this will affect you." She said as she pushed the plunger down and forced the liquid into his bloodstream. She slapped a band aid over the wound more out of habit than necessity, warlocks didn't bleed as badly as mundies or even other downworlders. Magnus rose to leave and Catarina laced a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't forget to come back tomorrow so I can do another blood draw and then two more weeks after that I need you again for testing. Thank you for doing this Magnus." Catarina told him.

"I won't forget and your welcome." He said pulling down his shirt sleeve. "I don't suppose I could convince you to come to lunch with me. I hardly ever see you anymore my dear." He asked. Catarina looked at her watch then shrugged.

"Why not? I can take lunch a little early today. I'll meet you at the entrance to the hospital in five." She said leaving to gather her belongings. Magnus followed her out and preceded to the predetermined meeting spot to wait for her.


	10. Truth be Told

"Catarina I'm starting to believe you only agreed to come to lunch so you could lecture me." Magnus said as the other warlock continued to go and on about the things he could not do for fear of endangering her experiment.

"Magnus, we are this close to a major breakthrough here!" She said holding her thumb and index finger so close there was barely a space between them. "I won't have you doing something stupid to mess with my experiment and send the whole thing down the drain. So let's review now that I know you've barely been listening. No…" She began but Magnus interrupted.

"No drinking, no drugs, no all-night partying, avoid using magic except where absolutely necessary. I _was_ listening." Magnus said with a smug grin. Catarina nodded then held up a finger.

"You forgot one. No sex." She said.

"I didn't forget it," Magnus relied. "It was specifically omitted."

"Oh, and why is that?" Catarina asked.

"Because I'm not getting any." He admitted. Catarina's eyes widened and when she realized he was serious she began to laugh uncontrollably.

"Well I'm glad you find this so incredibly funny." Magnus said staring at his friend who had her head on the table as she laughed so hard tears fell from her eyes. Sh stopped and took a few deep breaths then sat up.

"I'm sorry Magnus I've just never known you to be dating someone for nearly a year and not either be sleeping with them or cheating on them." She said truthfully. "What's the matter, is your little Nephilim waiting for marriage or something?" She asked.

"I don't know." Magnus grumbled. "When we started dating he gave me all this crap about not liking to let anyone see him even with just his shirt off." He continued playing with the straw in his lemonade. "Well after a while it became 'I don't want you to see because I don't look normal'. I really can't figure it out." He finished.

"Normal? What do you mean he doesn't look normal?" Catarina asked inquisitively.

"That's what I can't figure out. I mean really Catarina what could he be hiding? Scars? He's got plenty of scars on his arms and shoulders that don't bother me. A birthmark? He's got Runes cut into his flesh by magic for crying out loud why would that bother me?" Magnus shook his head.

"That is most definitely a mystery. Have you asked his siblings about it?" Catarina said.

"No I don't want to go around him like that. Besides I doubt Isabelle would tell me and Jace is not a reliable source of information. Plus, based on recent events I find it doubtful that Golden Boy knows much about his brother's life." Magnus said shrugging his shoulders.

"Not much to be done about then, is there?" Catarina said looking genuinely concerned for her friend. She knew he loved Alec and it upset her a bit that the boy wasn't being entirely truthful with him when Magnus had done everything for the boy.

"No. Nothing except wait and hope he finds it in himself to trust me with whatever secret he's hiding." Magnus said with a sigh. There was nothing else to be said here, the conversation had taken all the lightness out of Magnus's mood so Catarina quickly excused herself. The two hugged before heading off in their separate directions, Magnus to his loft and Catarina to the hospital.

* * *

When he arrived home Magnus found that he was tired. He laid down on his couch next to Chairman Meow. The cat quickly cuddled up to his owner's chest and began to purr loudly, sending Magnus right to sleep.

He awoke several hours later to find that his head was about to explode. Pain radiated through it like electric jolts straight to his brain. He pulled a blanket over him from the back of the couch and used it to cover his face. The absence of light helped a little but even the effort it had taken to move the blanket had been agonizingly painful. The warlock lay perfectly still waiting for the horrible ache to subside.

It took several hours, he was sure, but the intense headache dulled to a mild throb and he sat up gently. It was now dark outside so Magnus decided to go to his bed and lie down. He could call Catarina in the morning. As soon as he stood pain shot through not only his head but his entire body and he doubled over in agony.

"Damn you Catarina." Was the only thing he managed to say before passing out onto the floor.


	11. Honest

Alec walked briskly down the street towards the loft as darkness fell over the city. The sun had set a few minutes earlier leaving only the smallest amount of it's light behind. Even though it was New York City it still got pretty dark in Brooklyn so Alec walked a bit quicker in an effort to reach Magnus's before total darkness fell. Arriving at the loft he bounded up the steps two and three at a time and knocked on the door. He got no reply so he fished the key Magnus had given him out of his pocket and opened the door.

He entered the loft and flipped on a light expecting the place to be empty. Instead he saw his boyfriends crumpled form on the floor.

"Magnus!" He called running over to him. Alec dropped to his knees and rolled Magnus over. He could see the warlock's chest rising up and down in the steady rhythm of breathing which made him sigh in relief. He propped Magnus into a sitting position against the couch and began to look him over. He had a small knot on his head, probably from passing out on the floor, but other than that he looked alright. When Alec touched his face it was evident that he had a slight fever but nothing that should have caused this. Gently he shook Magnus's shoulder.

"Wake up baby. I need you to wake up." Alec whispered into his ear. He was rewarded with a small groan from Magnus. "Come on baby please open your eyes for me." Alec said again. Magnus groaned a few more time and mumbled under his breath before slowly opening his eyes.

"Alec when did you get here?" Magnus said in confusion. He looked around the room trying to orient himself and remember what had happened.

"What made you pass out?" Alec asked softly.

"My head, it hurt so much." Magnus answered weakly.

"Does it stull hurt honey?" Alec asked.

"Not as much, it's just kind of throbbing now. Alec can I go to my bed?" Magnus asked gazing up at his boyfriend.

"Of course you can love. Come on." Alec replied helping Magnus up. He put one of his arms around the warlock's middle and wrapped one of Magnus's arms around his shoulders. The two walked awkwardly to the bedroom with Alec doing most of the work, Magnus was able to do little more than lean on his boyfriend and shuffle his feet. When they reached the bedroom Alec helped Magnus lay on the bed then went over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of Magnus's sweatpants and a long sleeved shirt. He took them over to the edge of the bed and helped Magnus sit up and change his shirt. He laid Magnus back down and undid the buttons on his jeans. He put his hands on the warlock's hips and Magnus lifted them compliantly so Alec could slip off the jeans and pull sweatpants on in their place.

In his own bed wearing comfortable clothes Magnus quickly fell back asleep which left Alec to sit at his bedside and worry. He had never known his boyfriend to get ill, particularly not like this. He doubted he could rest with all the worry hanging over him but Alec was emotionally exhausted and sleep came easily in the dark room where the only noise was Magnus's steady breathing.

* * *

He woke to early morning light streaming in through the blinds on either side of Magnus's bed. Alec yawned and stretched trying to relieve some of the sore spots caused by spending the night in a chair. Glancing at the bed he saw Magnus still sleeping and smiled. The pained look had been replaced by one of contentment at some point in the night. Alec knew he should wake his boyfriend and try to figure out what was wrong but he looked so peaceful that Alec decided to let him sleep a bit longer.

He went out to the kitchen and was in the middle of making himself a cup of coffee when Magnus walked in sleepily.

"Hey sunshine." He said giving Alec a dreamy grin.

"Good morning. How do you feel?" Alec asked walking around the counter for a hug.

"Still a little sore but much better." He said in a tone that was just a little to cheerful for someone who had passed out the night before.

"Are you sure?" Alec asked eyeing him warily.

"Scout's honor." Magnus said holding up the middle three fingers of his right hand. Alec gave him a confused look and Magnus sighed. "I promise." He said instead.

"Good, you had me so worried baby." Alec said swooping in for another bone crushing hug. Magnus was surprised to feel his boyfriend shaking slightly. He tried to soothe him by gently rubbing the back of his neck but the shaking only grew worse and soon Alec was sobbing in his arms.

"Oh, sweetie! Please don't cry, I'm alright now. Shhh, shhh. It's okay!" He exclaimed. It was now his turn to lead Alec to the bedroom as his boyfriend had done last night. They cuddled on the bed, Alec holding onto the front of Magnus's shirt for dear life crying his eyes out.

"Oh God, Magnus I thought I lost you!" He cried as all the pent up emotions, not just of last night but of the last week as a whole, poured out of him. His boyfriend held him close and rocked him gently, trying to calm him down. "I'm sorry I never told you because I thought you wouldn't love me anymore that was stupid. I know that you aren't that shallow and I'm sorry I ever thought you were!" Alec said in one big rush.

"Didn't tell me what honey?" Magnus didn't really need to ask but he did anyway.

"Why I'm scared to let you see me naked." Alec said bluntly. He had calmed down a little now and sat up on the bed. "It wasn't something I should have been afraid of for so long. I knew you would never hurt me a long time ago, it's just been a secret for so long." Alec admitted.

"it's alright honey. It's okay that you kept it secret. But you're right, I would never hurt you. Nothing could make me care less about you." He assured Alec. Both of them were sitting cross legged now, facing each other.

"Magnus," He began slowly. "When I was born I wasn't just one gender or the other, and physically I'm still not." He looked at Magnus who had a slightly confused look on his face and drew in a shaky breath. "I'm inter-sexed, a hermaphrodite, whatever you want to call it. I've got both male and female sex organs." He knew he should let Magnus process that for a moment but he wanted to say everything he had to say _now. _"my parents chose to raise me as a boy which is what I identify as anyway, so it worked out. I'm not a girl, at all. I know I'm a guy who likes other guys so it makes sense that maybe I'm actually supposed to be a girl but I'm not." Alec finished, he bit his lip and gazed up to meet Magnus's eyes.

"Okay." Magnus said with a nod.

"Okay?" Alec whispered. Magnus nodded again and kissed Alec on the forehead.

"_Totally_ okay." He said. He ran his fingers through Alec's dark hair then stood up. "I'm going to go make some waffles, do you want some?" He asked stretching.

"Yeah." Alec said, still somewhat in shock. Magnus walked out of the room and Alec grinned widely. He had only hoped it would go this well, never imagining that his deepest secret could be so easily accepted.


	12. No Explanation

**A/N Wow! I can't believe the amazing response to this story. I will continue to try and add at least a chapter each day though I've got finals coming up so no promises. I'd like to thank everyone who left a review, I enjoy reading your guy's comments and opinions about the story. Thanks!**

Alec left the loft late that afternoon after receiving an urgent call from the Institute, or a t least from Isabelle which probably meant it wasn't really urgent, but he went anyway. This left Magnus by himself to contemplate the events of the previous night and this morning. He had never imagined Alec's secret to be something like that. It didn't bother him at all but it left him with some questions to be sure. Did both sets of genitals work? Were they complete? How exactly would sex work? Obviously Magnus knew how it worked with women and how it worked with men but how did it work when physically you were both? Magnus shook his head. He would just have to have a very awkward conversation with his boyfriend about it later.

The phone rang and Magnus jumped in surprise. He rushed to answer it and was met with a very disgruntled Catarina on the other end.

"You promised you'd be here for the blood draw six minutes ago!" She hissed before he even said hello.

"Six? What an oddly specific number six have you been watching your clock anticipating my arrival?" He replied in his most charming tone as he rushed to his closet and began to dress.

"Yes you dumb ass! I have." Catarina retorted. "Magnus you promised me that you would take this seriously and not do anything idiotic so I swear to God if you are hung over, strung out, or anything like it I'm going to kick your…." Catarina continued to rant as Magnus hung up the phone and pulled on a pair of dark black jeans. He paired it with a turquoise t-shirt adorned with many metal studs in the shape of a Harley and various writings on the front in fonts to small or swirly to read. He added black converse before rushing out the door to the hospital.

He arrived only ten minutes later to find Catarina standing on the front steps to the building, arms folded across her chest, tapping her foot on the stone floor.

"Sixteen minutes late Mr. Bane." She complained as they walked inside and she led him to an exam room.

"I sort of had a lot going on this morning Ms. Loss." He retorted. "It's all your fault too, your stupid injection tried to kill me!"

"What?!" Catarina croaked looking at him in shock.

"Yes. I get home last night and lay down on my couch for a nice nap all innocent and unsuspecting and when I wake up a few hours later. _Boom!" _He clapped his hand together loudly for effect. "The worst headache I've ever had in my life, so I'm lying there in agony and finally it subsides. My poor self thinks the worst is over so I get up to go to my room when out of nowhere my entire body feels like it's on fire and next thing I know Alec is peeling me off the floor." He finished shooting his friend an accusatorial glance.

"Damn, I hadn't anticipated side effects so severe as that." She said scribbling furiously on her clipboard.

"Ha! You hadn't anticipated them how do you think I felt!" Magnus cried. Catarina just shook her head and produced a needle and syringe with which to take more blood. Magnus continued to complain while she drew the blood although she never answered him. After she was finished she instructed Magnus to lie back on the table.

"Fine." He muttered. "But don't think just because I'm listening to you means you're forgiven. No I just want you to make sure I'm not dying from that wretched potion of yours." He whined. Catarina poked his lower stomach with three fingers and he sat up with a gasp.

"Ow!" He protested.

"Sensitive?" Catarina asked, once again taking notes on that clipboard. God Magnus was really starting to hate that clipboard.

"Only slightly." He ground out in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Lay back." She told him as she pushed on one of his shoulders. Warily Magnus did so. Catarina lifted his shirt up to his waist. Placing three fingers just below his sternum she tapped him so lightly he could barely feel it. She moved down a few centimeters and repeated the process, this continued happening until she reached right below where a human's navel should be. This time the light tap was jarring and Magnus let out a small gasp.

"Pain?" She asked.

"Just discomfort." Was the reply. She nodded and continued down until she reached the waistband of his jeans. Every one of the small taps had received a similar noise of discomfort.

"Hmm, how odd." Catarina mumbled as she marked the area on a diagram of the human body. "Let me try something to gauge the sensitivity?" She asked. Magnus nodded and she placed her whole hand on his chest, pressing down Catarina looked at him. "Pain on a scale of one to ten?" She inquired.

"One." Magnus answered. She noted it down and moved her hand to his upper arm, applying the same amount of force she asked again and the answer was one here as well. Finally she moved to his lower abdomen and pushed down. Subconsciously Magnus knew she was applying no more pressure than she had elsewhere but the pain claimed otherwise. The pressure produced a pain so horrible it brought tears to his eyes.

"Ten!" He cried. "Ten! Stop, stop, stop!" He was practically sobbing now. Catarina lifted his hand and Magnus breathed a sigh of relief.

"What the hell, Catarina?!" He said once he had recovered enough to speak. "What did your potion do to me?"

"I've got no idea." She said removing the gloves she had worn for the exam. "It may fade, the pain I mean."

"It had better fade! That was just God awful and you're telling me it might be permanent?" He asked.

"Well I doubt it would be permanent but it could last as long as the potion stays in your system." She said in a matter of fact tone the Magnus thought was just a little to calm for the situation at hand.

"How long is it going to be in my system?" He inquired despite being unsure he wanted to know the answer.

"I designed the potion to have an effect lasting three months but for obvious reasons it's unclear if it will last that amount of time, less, or longer." Catarina said. "I wish I knew what to tell you Magnus but I really don't. I'll come by the loft tomorrow to see how you are. In the meantime go home and rest." She ordered him.

"Alright Cat." Magnus agreed with a sigh. After all what else was he supposed to do? She was the one with medical knowledge and the one who had created the potion in the first place. He wasn't about to disobey her, particularly since he had no idea how bad the consequences of not following her rules could be if this was how bad doing things the way she asked was.


	13. The Chapter with Isabelle Fangirling

Alec was attacked by his sister the moment he walked in the Institute's front gate and for a few seconds all he could see was dark black curls swirling every which way in front of his eyes.

"Did you, did you, did you?" She asked bouncing up and down on her heels. "Please tell me that you told him!" She cried pulling him into the elevator. Alec decided to torment his sister a little longer by not giving her an answer until the elevator pinged to let them off.

"Yes." He said before running off the elevator with Izzy in hot pursuit. He ran laughing to his room and slammed the door. Isabelle followed ripping open the door before he could lock it and tackling him to the ground. Both were laughing uncontrollably as Alec pushed Izzy off of him and sat up.

"So how did it go?" Isabelle questioned sitting up herself and assuming a cross legged position.

"Well it was kinda awkward actually because he was sort of passed out when I got there." He admitted rubbing the back of his neck.

"Passed out! Oh my God what happened?" She asked eyes wide.

"He said he had a really bad headache and the pain made him pass out." Alec started to shake a little as he remembered the fear that had overwhelmed him when he found Magnus collapsed on the floor.

"That's so freaking scary." Isabelle said softly.

"yeah it was, and so I took him to his bed and let him sleep then in the morning when he woke up I flipped out a little bit. I told him I was scared I had lost him and that I was sorry for keeping this secret from him for so long. After that I told him everything and he was really awesome about it." Alec said with a smile.

"What did he say exactly?" Isabelle questioned leaning towards her brother.

"He said 'okay' and then he asked if I wanted waffles."

"Waffles?"

"Waffles."

"Oh you two are so cute!" Isabelle exclaimed.

"If you say so." Alec said, he didn't really understand why waffles were so cute but if his sister thought so then far be it from him to change her mind.

"Alec I'm so happy for you. I really am." His sister said sweetly, and then of course she had to start talking about those things Alec wished she didn't know about. "So since he was sick I'm guessing you two didn't get the deed done."

"Izzy please don't say that." He begged his younger sister.

"What Alec? I want to know if you and Magnus had intercourse or not, I don't think that's a bad thing it's an honest question!" Isabelle said teasingly.

"No Iz we did not have sex." He told her hiding his face in his hands. "That will be the end of this conversation." He declared getting up off the floor. "Where's Jace?"

"Clary just got back from vacation with Luke and her mom so Jace went to see her." Isabelle said as she stood and straightened her outfit. "I think he should be back around dinner time."

"I don't think I'll be here then. I'm going back over to Magnus's to see if he's alright or needs any help." Alec said. Isabelle quickly gave her brother a hug and nodded before leaving the room.

Alone Alec looked around his room and located an old backpack which he filled with toiletries, some books, and his Shadowhunter gear. Before he had left Magnus told him he could come spend a few days at the loft. It wasn't the first time he had spent several nights there but it was the first planned time and that meant something to Alec. He was elated to have been invited even if Magnus's mysterious illness was quite possibly a large motivator of the invitation. The fact that Magnus trusted him to look after him when he was ill even over his other warlock friends filled him with joy and he felt honored to do so. He checked through his bag and finding he had everything he thought he needed Alec clicked off the light and walked out shutting the door behind him.


	14. Staying the Night

Alec stopped for takeout on the way to Magnus's remembering how empty the kitchen had been a few days ago. He walked hurriedly down the street feeling the steaming boxes of Chinese food hot on his arm. He climbed the steps to the loft slowly, trying not to drop anything. He found the door to the loft open, something Magnus often did on warm days but since it was November and slightly chilly Alec assumed Chairman Meow must have escaped again.

"Don't shut the door behind you." Magnus said rushing to help his boyfriend carry the takeout boxes to the counter. "Chairman Meow has run away again and I don't want…"

"To shut the door in case he tries to come back." Alec finished with a chuckle. "Magnus, he _always_ comes back. He probably has a lady cat somewhere." He said leaning in to kiss his boyfriend.

"Ugh I hope not, that's the last thing we need is miniature Chairmans running around everywhere. One is enough of a terror." Magnus said theatrically.

"Mags, you love your cat. Quit pretending you don't like the cat." Alec said stoically.

"You know me so well baby." Magnus replied leaning in for another kiss now that both their hands were empty. He wrapped his arms around Alec's waist and pinned the boy against the counter. He deepened the kiss and Alec moaned a little. Magnus pressed his hips into Alec's and the younger boy immediately broke the kiss.

"Magnus." He said in a warning tone. The warlock sighed to himself but stopped immediately and backed up a few steps. "Not now." Alec said. Magnus chose to take this as a very good sign. After all Alec had said not now which actually meant yes later.

"So do you want to eat now or should I put this stuff in the fridge?" Magnus asked walking around the counter.

"Now is good with me." Alec replied and Magnus began fishing around in cupboards and drawers looking for plates and utensils. The two settled themselves on the floor in Magnus's study which had a television in it. Magnus turned on _Project Runway_ which earned him a slight eye roll from his boyfriend but he left it on anyway.

"So," He said about halfway through their meal. "about the whole passing out, headache thing." Alec stopped eating and looked over at his boyfriend.

"What about it?" He asked.

"Well it was sort of a side effect of something I was helping a friend with and it could possibly happen again." Magnus said slowly trying to avoid eye contact.

"What sort of something were you helping which friend with?" Alec asked raising an eyebrow.

"Catarina was doing a small experiment on warlocks and she just needed a test subject to inject with this potion to see if it would work." He only half-lied.

"What was it supposed to do?" Alec asked.

"Make me fertile." Magnus responded once again avoiding eye contact.

"Uh huh, and she just injected you with this strange stuff that she thought would help warlocks have kids but instead it gives them crippling headaches." Alec clarified.

"Sort of, it also gives you strange stomach pain too, apparently, also, a little bit." Magnus trailed off meeting Alec's deep blue eyes.

"We are so not having sex tonight." Was Alec's blunt reply.

"You were going to sleep with me tonight!?" Magnus asked eyes wide.

"Yup."

"Well why can't we…I don't really see the issue with… It can't possibly be that big a deal if we had sex." Magnus sputtered.

"No. For all I know your eyeballs would explode." Alec answered firmly. Magnus sighed, Catarina was going to catch hell for this one. "How long until this stuff is out of your system?" Alec asked.

"Catarina said it should be about three months but she's not sure it could be less. God I hope it's less." Magnus said as Alec stood and walked over to the large wooden desk in one corner of the room. He picked up the small calendar sitting there and flipped through it. Alec found a pen and circled a date exactly three months from then.

"What are you doing?" Magnus asked.

"Unless Catarina gives you the all clear before then this is the day we can have sex." Alec replied showing Magnus the little circle on his calendar. Alec set it back down on the desk and walked back over to his plate, sitting down he resumed eating without a word, suddenly very absorbed in _Project Runway_. Magnus sighed, conceding defeat and turned back to his dinner as well.


	15. Appointment

**A/N Thanks again to all my awesome reviewers and to my readers! I hope you like the chapter:)**

The next two weeks had dragged on as Magnus waited to go back and see Catarina again. He had no more symptoms except for the pain in his stomach but that was only when it was pressed on, his hope was that she would say he was clear to do whatever he liked and while it was probably overly optimistic it was a hope he held onto like a life line. Alec wasn't making it easy on him either. Now that everything was out in the open he teased Magnus endlessly. One day he'd come out of the shower naked and walk around the bedroom pretending to look for clothes, the next he'd whisper dirty things in Magnus's ear for an hour or more.

That was the worst and best, he could still remember the first time. They'd been watching some sci-fi movie lent to them by Luke, GATTACA, he was pretty sure that's what it was called. Anyhow, during the movie's sole sex scene Alec had leaned over slowly and whispered in Magnus's ear _"Are you going to love me like that?". At first he hadn't realized it was a tease and had whispered back a sweet yes accompanied by a kiss. Alec hadn't stopped there though, "I know you've had a lot of people, a lot of experience. You must be an amazing lover." He'd crawled into Magnus's lap, facing him so that one of his knees was on either side of the warlock's hips, the movie now entirely forgotten. "I want you so much baby." Here he'd tried to lean in for a kiss but Alec stopped him "I have dreams about it you know, you and me and all the things you're going to do to me to make me moan and cry out your name. They're so __**hot**__ baby, the dreams." Alec had started moving his hips rubbing his erection against Magnus's thigh. They were both panting now and Magnus tried to reach for the button on Alec's jeans but his hand was swatted away "You know the rule babe." Magnus sighed, Alec had told him he didn't want to do anything more than make out before the Catarina gave him the all clear. "I don't just want a little, I want everything." He'd said, Magnus was happy to oblige his boyfriend but in moments like these it was frustrating. "Magnus." Alec had whispered. That had been the end of his control Magnus tried to kiss him one more time and being denied again lifted Alec off his lap and trudged off to the shower._

Magnus shook off the memory as he crossed the busy street in front of Beth-Israel Hospital. He was on time today so Catarina wasn't out waiting for him like last time but instead was inside the exam room he was directed too by another of the nurses.

"I see you remembered to show up today." Catarina said eyeballing Magnus. "How are you feeling?"

"Well I'd be better if you'd quit bitching." He snapped.

"Touchy, touchy. Any special reason?" She inquired. Magnus wasn't about to admit that a Shadowhunter had left him as horny as an inexperienced teenager so he just shrugged. "Well if I could get you to hop up here." Catarina said patting the exam table next to her. He complied and she quickly drew some blood. However, instead of setting it aside for later as she had done the previous two times she instructed Magnus to wait and walked out of the room.

When she returned twenty minutes later her face was down cast.

"I've got good news for you and bad news for me." She said. "The test came back negative which means the potion failed." She said with a sigh.

"So I'm good to go? No more weird side effects popping up or restrictions on my life?" Magnus inquired eagerly.

"It would seem that way." Catarina replied dryly. "It's probably out of your body or at least neutralized by now since it was a failure."

"Thank God." Magnus muttered. "So what about the pain in my stomach?" He asked.

"When we talked on the phone last week you said it had faded significantly, my guess is that it will continue to do so." Catarina answered.

"So that's it? It's all over?" Magnus asked one more time just to be certain he understood his friend correctly.

"Yes Magnus to the best of my knowledge and ability to tell you are fine to go back to whatever it was you did before without any consequences to your health. It failed, we're done here." She said. Magnus rose and hugged her gently.

"I'm sorry Catarina, you really are brilliant don't give up on this." He said. She smiled at him weakly and waved her hand indicating that he could leave.

* * *

Magnus called the Institute on the way home and told Alec to meet him at the loft so he wasn't surprised when only a few moments after he arrived home Alec burst through the door. Por boy, he always thought there was some kind of emergency.

"Can't I ever invite you over without you thinking there's a demon attacking me?" Magnus teased.

"You said it was important!" Alec protested and Magnus laughed.

"I guess I did say that so I'll let you off the hook this time, but really in the future walking over is just fine." He told his boyfriend walking over for a kiss. "So guess what?" He said.

"What?" Alec replied.

"Catarina has officially given me the clean bill of health you were waiting for my dear and ten weeks ahead of schedule! Isn't lovely when everything works out in your favor?" Magnus said sweetly before looking at Alec's face. The poor boy looked like he was going to hyperventilate. "Alec what's the matter?"

"I thought I had twelve weeks! Now you're telling me I only get two and they're already over!" He said throwing his hands into the air. "I thought I had more time than this."

"More time for what? Alec why are those ten weeks so important?" Magnus asked in confusion.

"Because I thought I had them and now I don't and I'm not sure what I needed them for but now that they're gone I know that I want them back!" He exclaimed. Magnus pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Baby are you scared?" Magnus asked gently.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Do you trust me?"

"Absolutely."

"Then there's nothing to be scared of. I won't force you, we can wait."

"No. I'm ready, just nervous."

"Don't be honey." Magnus said kissing Alec softly before pulling him in the direction of the bedroom.


	16. Finally!

**A/N Warning this chapter contains graphic BoyXBoy sex, if you don't like it then just don't read it! Additionally, I'm not a dude and I've never written a sex scene before, plus Alec's got two sets of parts to worry about which made this scene pretty difficult to write. Therefore, comments and criticisms are welcomed but flames are not cuz it's just rude people! If you are going to criticize my writing do it by telling me what you didn't like and telling me why. Please don't just post "Whoa this is bad" I want to know why it's bad (or not bad cuz if you liked it that's totally awesome and I'd be just as excited to read your review as a constructive criticism) so that I can improve it. Wow, look at that mega-rant I just went on, promise not to do that again! As always thanks readers and reviewers!**

Magnus kicked the door shut behind him as he attacked a spot on Alec's neck. His love sighed throwing back his head which gave Magnus even greater access to the sensitive spot. He pulled back and reached for the hem of Alec's t-shirt. It was pulled swiftly off and dumped on the floor where it was soon joined by his own.

He pulled Alec in the direction of the bed and they tumbled onto it together. They kissed, gently, softly. It soon escalated and in minutes they were both panting in the throes of a full on make out session.

"Magnus, Magnus." Alec whispered against his mouth. It was all the encouragement the warlock needed. He reached for Alec's zipper and quickly divested him of his jeans, although he doubted the boy noticed since he was so busy fumbling with Magnus's belt buckle. He reached down and undid the buckle himself, sliding his skinny jeans down over his hips and tossing them to the floor. Two pairs of boxers quickly followed.

Alec sat up so he was kneeling his butt resting on his heels. Magnus moved towards him slowly until they were inches apart. He reached out his hands and placed them on Alec's shoulders lightly. Carefully he brushed his fingertips over them and then down over his chest and stomach, back up his sides and then down his arms. Tracing every scar and Rune as well as patterns of his own onto Alec's pale skin. He moved to the younger man's thighs making swirls and loops with his fingertips.

"Turn around." Magnus whispered hoarsely. Alec readily complied and soon his back was being treated to the same feather light touch.

"Lean forward." He instructed this time and Alec did so until he was resting on his hands and knees. Magnus ran his hands over the backs of his thighs and his ass causing Alec to shiver and let out a quiet moan. Draping himself over his boyfriend Magnus pressed his erection into the cleft of his ass and ground against him, moving his hips in slow circles. He reached around and took the other man's need in his hand, stroking it slowly which made Alec cry out and buck his hips.

Magnus pulled back a little and pressed his index finger to the tight ring of muscle between Alec's cheeks. His other hand released Alec's erection and reached for the nightstand where a small bottle of lube waited.

"Baby?" He heard Alec say in a soft voice.

"What is it honey?"

"Not there, not like that."

"What do you mean?" Magnus asked in confusion. In response Alec reached between his legs to touch the feminine hole situated behind his male organs.

"I want you to fuck me here." He said in a tone so filled with lust it sent chills up Magnus's spine.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" He asked, he trusted Alec but he wanted there to be no miscommunication or regret.

"I'm sure." Came the reply. Well, if that was what he wanted Magnus certainly wasn't going to say no. He spent a few minutes using his fingers to get Alec used to the feeling and loosen him up. He wanted their first time to be pleasurable, not painful. Finally he lined himself up with Alec's entrance and in one fluid motion thrust into him. Alec gasped partially in pain and partly in pleasure. Magnus held himself still for a moment enjoying the tight, hot body around him.

"Magnus." Alec moaned after a few moments had passed. "I need more."

The warlock was more than happy to comply, he thrust his hips in a slow steady rhythm while reaching back around to take Alec's erection in his hand once again. With his lover thrusting into him from behind and stroking his erection Alec came quickly which pushed Magnus over the edge and caused him to do the same.

Breathing heavily still they both rolled over onto the bed until they were spooning with Alec's back pressed against Magnus's chest.

"Magnus?" Alec whispered.

"What baby?"

"I love you."

"I love you too." Magnus replied. They lay in silence for a while before Magnus heard the sound of steady breathing that indicated Alec had fallen asleep. Cuddling close to his boyfriend he pulled a blanket off the floor and covered both of them without before falling asleep himself.


	17. The Flu

_Eight weeks later_

Alec woke from his slumber with Magnus curled up by his side. It was something he was growing used to as he was spending nearly every night with Magnus now. He might as well move in, but he was waiting for his boyfriend to bring it up first. He rolled over to face his love and kissed him lightly on the forehead. Magnus's eyes opened sleepily to peer at Alec. He made a noise of contentment and snuggled closer for a moment before his eyes suddenly opened wide.

Knowing what was coming next Alec sat up in the bed just as Magnus threw all the covers onto the floor and ran to the bathroom. He didn't make it to the toilet and was instead leaning over the sink being violently sick when his boyfriend came in. A long period of retching followed the vomiting as Magnus expelled everything in his stomach into the porcelain sink. Alec rubbed his back in circles while fishing around in a drawer below the sink for a washcloth.

"I think I'm better now." Magnus said swallowing hard. He sat on the closed lid of the toilet, still shaky from vomiting, and watched Alec wet the cloth in the bathtub faucet. His boyfriend passed him the cool cloth to clean himself up with then began cleaning out the sink.

"This is the third time this week." Alec said trying to act casual.

"I know." Magnus said weakly holding the cool cloth over his face.

"I think we should call someone baby." Alec said washing his hands. He sat on his knees at Magnus's feet.

"I know." Magnus sighed tossing the washcloth into the sink.

"Could Catarina come look you over? I know you don't like the idea but it would make me feel better baby. You've been so sick and it's not getting better." Alec practically begged. Magnus's mysterious illness of the last month wasn't getting better but progressively worse.

"Oh honey I'm fine really but if it will help you sleep easier I'm sure I could get her to stop by." Magnus replied. He stood slowly and made his way out of the bathroom only to lie back down on the bed with a groan.

"Do you need anything?" His boyfriend asked from the bathroom doorway.

"No. Just make the call honey, you know where the phone numbers are." He said before rolling over and pulling the covers over his face.

Alec went out into the kitchen to retrieve both the phone and the little book all Magnus's personal contacts were in. He proceeded into the living room as he flipped through the pages until he came to Catarina Loss. Dialing the number, he sat down on the couch and set the book to the side. The phone rang twice before Catarina answered.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Hi, this is Alec Lightwood I'm…"

"Magnus's boyfriend." Catarina finished for him. "What can I do for you Alexander?"

"Magnus is ill, he's had this flu thing for about four weeks now and it isn't going away." Alec explained.

"Flu thing?" Catarina questioned. "What kind of symptoms is he having?"

"Originally he was just tired with a migraine and he was achy all over. The migraine and the body ache went away after a couple of days but not the tiredness. Last week he started throwing up, not every day but every other day at the least. All he does is sleep and I can't get him to eat much more than soup." There was a long pause as Catarina thought and Alec waited anxiously for her verdict.

"I'll be over in twenty minutes." She said finally.

Alec paced the living room nervously a few times before showering, dressing, and forcing himself to eat some cereal in anticipation of Catarina's arrival. The only other time he'd seen Magnus, or any other warlock, sick was a few months earlier when Catarina's experiment had caused his fainting episode. He was nervous for what the female warlock might find.

Catarina knocked on the door, arriving too soon and yet not soon enough all at the same time. Alec rushed to answer and she strode in past him as soon as the door was opened.

"Is he in the bedroom?" She asked.

"Yes. He threw up this morning but then he went right back to sleep." Alec answered pointing towards the bedroom door.

"Well then. Let's see what seems to be ailing our dear Mr. Bane." She said walking to the bedroom.

* * *

Magnus heard Catarina arrive but refused to such much as flinch until she forced him to. When the bedroom door opened and he heard two sets of footsteps approaching he closed his eyes tightly and did his best to pretend he was asleep.

"Wake up Bane." Catarina said, laying her black medical bag at the foot of the bed. He sighed and sat up slowly. His stomach lurched again. Magnus groaned as he rolled out of the bed and ran to the bathroom. He fell to his knees in front of the toilet and vomited for the second time that morning. Thankfully there wasn't anything left to come up except a little liquid. He flushed it down and climbed to his feet. Staggering over to the sink he brushed his teeth.

Catarina and Alec watched all this from the doorway before she sent the dark-haired boy from the room.

"What's wrong Magnus?" Catarina asked gently as he made his way back to the bed.

"If I knew that you wouldn't be here." He growled.

"Can I examine you?" She questioned.

"Have at it." He replied rolling onto his back, then pulling himself into a sitting position. Catarina grabbed her bag and moved to stand next to Magnus. She felt the glands in his throat, checked his pulse, and used a simple spell to check for a fever.

"You don't seem to have the flu." She said, opening the medical bag.

"Why do you say this?" He asked.

"Glands aren't swollen, no fever, your color is pretty good despite having just vomited up the last of your stomach contents." Catarina answered as she rummaged through her bag. Finally she found the stethoscope she'd been searching for in the bottom.

"Shirt up." She ordered. Magnus readily complied and she pressed the cool metal disc to his chest, then his back. "Breathing is normal too. Describe the symptoms to me?"

"Didn't Alec do that when he called?" Magnus asked.

"Yes. But I highly doubt you told him everything. You're stubborn when you're sick."

"It started with a headache and a fever. I started feeling nauseous a couple of days later but the throwing up started this week." Magnus said.

"Would you laugh at me if I asked to try something ridiculous?" Catarina asked.

"Probably." Magnus answered. "But ask anyway."

"A pregnancy test." She said. Magnus laughed for a minute the n saw the seriousness of Catarina's expression. "Magnus it seems unlikely but the experiment had major unintended side effects, maybe it had other consequences."


	18. Who?

**A/N Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Hopefully the chapters I'm putting up today will convince you to forgive me! As always thanks to all my readers and reviewers!**

Magnus struggled to process the possibility of a baby. Personally, he felt that Catarina was insane. He had the flu, that was it. **The Flu**. Nothing else mores serious was going on.

"Magnus?" Catarina's voice brought him back to reality.

"Try it." He said then laid back on the bed. He'd done this spell before so he knew the drill. Magnus pulled his shirt up over his stomach again and shimmied his sleep pants down his hips a little so his entire abdomen was exposed. He held as still as possible as Catarina placed both her hands over his stomach. They glowed a gentle white for a moment before changing to green for a moment then back to white. Catarina frowned.

"Hold still. I'm going to try again, the results weren't conclusive on that one." Catarina informed him. She rubbed her hands and took a deep breath. Once again she placed her hands over Magnus's abdomen. This time when the white turned to green it remained that way and the light pulsed faintly.

"What does that mean?" Alec asked softly from the doorway.

"It means that Magnus is going to be accompanying me to the hospital for a quick test." Catarina said. She didn't want the boy to panic or otherwise freak out until she had more information to give the couple. "Come along Magnus."

The warlock sighed as he climbed out of the bed. He pulled an outfit from the dresser and went into the bathroom to change.

"Is he going to be okay?" Alec asked nervously. Catarina smiled at him gently.

"I think he'll be fine in just a little while. I just need to confirm my suspicions." Catarina said. At that moment Magnus exited the bathroom, dressed in jeans and a plain black t-shirt.

"Let's get this over with Catarina."

"Sure. We'll be back in no more than an hour Alexander." Catarina said exiting with her bag. Magnus followed, stopping to give Alec a kiss on the way out.

* * *

The two warlocks arrived at the hospital minutes later. They didn't go to the exam rooms near the emergency center as they had on Magnus's previous visits. Instead Catarina lead him to the third floor and into a room containing a large machine.

"Up on the table please." Catarina instructed. Magnus sat on the exam table and scanned the room nervously. His head was spinning from the recent bombshell his friend had dropped on him.

"Are you scared?" Magnus looked up to see Catarina staring at him.

"Yes." He replied.

"It's going to be alright." She promised. She adjusted the table so that when he lay back it wasn't flat but in a semi-sitting position. Magnus tried to calm his racing heart as Catarina lifted his shirt and applied a cold gel to his stomach. When this was done she pressed a button on the machine and the screen came to life. She ran a small rectangular wand-like object over his abdomen slowly. After a few minutes of staring at the screen and moving the wand back and forth Catarina's face took on a look of confusion.

"What?" Magnus asked.

"I don't see…but the spell showed. There doesn't appear to be a baby Magnus." She said in utter confusion.

"But the test, I saw it myself, it was positive." Magnus replied, unsure whether to be concerned or relieved.

"The test was positive, but faintly. It's possible…" She began but then trailed off.

"What's possible?" He asked sitting up a little.

"It was so faint, maybe it wasn't you. The boy was in the other room for the inconclusive one, but when we got the faint positive he was standing closer, in the doorway." She stopped, waiting for Magnus to catch on.

"God, you don't think, God." Magnus said, his head in his hands.

"If the potion actually worked." Catarina began, her mind working rapidly to figure the situation out. "It's possible that the boy could've gotten pregnant. I know you told me he has both sets of sex organs. I don't suppose you know if the female set works?" She asked, handing him a towel to wipe of the gel.

"He gets a period I think. There's a box of tampons under the sink that I definitely didn't put there." He replied cleaning himself up. Anxiety coiled in his stomach once again, he'd told Alec the potion was out of his system. Would he think he'd been lied to?

"We need to get him here for an exam. The potential for complications is huge when you take his unique physiology into account." Catarina said with a note of fear in her voice.

"I don't know Catarina. Shadowhunters don't go to Mundane doctors for anything, I'm not sure he'll do it." Magnus informed her.

"He would risk the life of his child?" Catarina said angrily.

"He's terrified of Mundane doctors and he's certainly never been to a hospital for an exam before. He's going to be scared enough as it is. Is the stress of it worth the benefits?" He asked, genuinely hoping Catarina would say no.

"I need a better picture of his health than what spells can give me, but you're right. Stress could be harmful to both of them so, for now, I won't bring it up." She promised, but she did insist on bringing some medical instruments and a small, handheld version of the device she'd used on Magnus.

By the time she'd finished gathering these items Magnus was close to passing out. Alec was pregnant with a baby neither of them had thought they could have. He was going to be incredibly angry, and confused, and scared. God, what was this mess? His poor baby was having a baby, he couldn't do that. His Alec was so young and innocent, he wasn't ready to have a baby. Magnus's baby. Their baby. Their baby, a tiny innocent baby that depended on it's parents for everything. Would Alec be able to keep being a Shadowhunter? Would his parents accept him and his child? Was it even possible for him to carry a baby to term and deliver it? The poor thing wouldn't die would it? Catarina had said "complications". What were complications? A miscarriage, birth defects. Any number of things could….

"Magnus." Catarina said putting a hand on his shoulder. "Stop thinking and just breathe." She instructed. He tried to calm himself, but failed. Catarina pushed him back onto the exam table. Taking ahold of his wrists she put his hands on top of his head and held them there with one of her own. The other hand reached for a paper towel from the nearby dispenser. She quickly wet it in the sink and pressed it to Magnus's forehead. "Relax. You need to calm down." She said. She released her grip on his wrists but continued to hold the paper towel to his face.

"I'm okay." He said after catching his breath for a long moment. He sat up as the dizziness dissipated.

"I'll make you a deal." Catarina said, throwing away the paper towel. "We don't have to tell him until after I check him out. That will make sure I'm right and give us more information before we tell him anything."

"I can't lie to him." Magnus said, shaking his head.

"We won't lie, we'll just do what we can to keep him from flipping out like you did." She said. Magnus had to admit that when she said it like that it seemed pretty sensible.

"Alright, what's my end of the deal?" He asked.

"Let me take care of the boy." She said.

"Take care of him?"

"This is my fault, I told you something that turned out to be untrue and now someone you love might suffer from it. The least I can do is take care of him through all of this. Please let me help."

"Of course Catarina, thank you."

**A/N So how many of you were convinced Magnus was having the baby after the last chapter? I know some of you did, I read it in a couple of reviews. Glad I was able to pull off a successful twist!**


	19. Totally Fine

Alec spent an agonizing thirty minutes sitting on the couch with Chairman Meow before the door finally opened. In walked Magnus and Catarina, who was still holding her medical bag.

"So is everything alright?" Alec asked, walking over to give Magnus a kiss. The warlock caught him up in a tight embrace and kissed him fiercely before replying.

"I'm fine, I am totally fine." He said.

"We believe that his symptoms are after-effects of the potion I was testing a few months ago. Due to your close proximity to him I would like to examine you as well to make sure you aren't suffering any side effects from second hand exposure to it." Catarina said, feeding him the lie they'd agreed upon on the walk back to the loft.

"Oh that's fine." Alec said, visibly relieved that his boyfriend's ailment didn't seem to be serious.

"Give me a minute and I'll meet you in the bedroom. You'll need to lie down for the exam." She explained. Alec nodded and proceeded into the bedroom.

"I want to be with him when he finds out." Magnus warned as Catarina washed her hands in the kitchen sink, scrubbing up to her elbows in steaming water.

"You will be." She replied. "You can even be the one to tell him if you want. Do you want to be there for the exam?"

"Not unless he asks me to be. I don't want him to think something is wrong." Magnus decided. Catarina nodded, dried her hands, and walked away from him into the room where Alec sat completely unsuspecting.

* * *

He sat cross-legged on the bed waiting for Catarina to come check him out. The relief he felt was overwhelming. Magnus was fine, and aside from a little tiredness, he wasn't experiencing any symptoms so he was likely fine too. When the blue-skinned warlock entered he smiled at her shyly.

"Could you take off your shirt for me Alexander?" She asked, unloading some instruments from her bag onto the bedside table. He did so and she quickly checked his breathing, heartbeat, and temperature. A slight fever, she noticed, but other than that his vitals seemed normal. "Okay sweetie lay back for me."

Alec lay flat on his back and stretched out his legs. He wasn't sure what to do with his arms so he clasped his hands behind his head.

"I need you to stay very still for me so that this spell can work." Catarina instructed. Alec nodded nervously, biting his lower lip. Catarina placed her hands over his abdomen, which, she noticed, was not quite as muscular as the rest of him; the extra weight in this area was an encouraging sign for the health of the baby. Her hands glowed white for only a second before turning green and pulsing steadily. It was exactly as they had suspected, the child was pregnant._ Far too young_, she thought as she reached for the portable sonogram machine.

"What's that?" Alec asked apprehensively.

"It lets me look at your internal organs. This is what I took Magnus for, only on a larger scale. This one is useful for when the patient can't come to the hospital for whatever reason." She tried to turn it into friendly conversation but the boy was too focused on the machine in her hand to converse. She applied a little gel to the end of the wand and pressed it to Alec's lower abdomen. Catarina had been afraid that he wouldn't be far enough along to see the baby without an internal exam but the picture on the small screen revealed a baby somewhere near it's ninth week of development.

Alec shifted nervously, causing her to lose the image momentarily but she quickly found it again. As far as she could tell the baby was healthy, but slightly smaller than what she would like. She'd need to make sure he ate enough to get the baby to a proper size. Her next concern was Alec's organs themselves. Making sure he was actually able to carry and deliver the child was obviously important. The limited view the small device provided showed a healthy reproductive system. She would have liked to do an internal exam but that would've definitely set off some alarm bells in the boy's head. So instead, she cleaned the gel off of Alec's abdomen and the wand.

"Wait here for a minute." She requested. Walking back into the living room she found Magnus seated on the couch petting his cat. "He's definitely pregnant."

"Is it okay?" He asked turning to look at her.

"The baby seems to be healthy, however it is slightly small. We'll need to work on that. You were right about taking him to the hospital, he was nervous enough with just me. I do need to do an internal exam as soon as possible." She said.

"Internal exam?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

"I need to check his cervix and make sure that it, A, exists, and B, is functional enough for him to give birth." Catarina explained. She doubted Magnus was absorbing much information but as long as he understood the necessity of her medical checks.

"So, should we go tell him now?"

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah."


	20. Figure This Out

Magnus entered the bedroom first and moved to sit next to Alec on the bed. Catarina followed, standing at the foot of the bed.

"So, I have to tell you something honey." Magnus said pulling Alec into his lap. "The potion was the reason why I felt sick, but it did something else too. When Catarina performed that spell, she was doing a pregnancy test." Alec's head whipped around to stare at his boyfriend. Magnus ignored his reaction and continued, terrified that if he stopped he wouldn't be able to start again. "We thought I was pregnant because when she performed it on me it gave a faint positive. But when we got to the hospital, there was no baby. The test was only positive here because you were here. You're pregnant baby, Catarina confirmed it just now."

Alec felt like he was drowning. They were joking, there couldn't be a baby inside of him. Could there? He knew the two warlocks were probably waiting for him to say something but he was too absorbed in his own thoughts to form a coherent sentence. Maybe he could be pregnant, he didn't remember his last period but that didn't mean it hadn't happened, it was always light and short. Sometimes he didn't get it all. But wouldn't there be symptoms? Yeah he was a little tired but he wasn't throwing up or anything. They were wrong, he couldn't be having a baby. He was too young to have a baby.

God what was Magnus going to say? Why would he want a baby? A half Shadowhunter baby. He would leave them. Alec would be nineteen and alone and pregnant with nowhere to go. His parents definitely weren't going to welcome a grandchild at his age. Where would he live? He didn't have money. Maybe in a shelter? But he was a boy, how would he explain a baby? But no, that wouldn't happen because he wasn't pregnant.

"No." He said at last. It was then that he realized he was hyperventilating.

"No, what honey?" Magnus asked holding Alec close and kissing him on the cheek.

"I can't be pregnant!" He screeched.

"I know this is a lot to process Alexander but I assure you that you are pregnant." Catarina said.

"No." he whimpered. Gently he placed both of his hands over his still exposed stomach. Breathing was steadily getting more difficult.

"Alec honey, I know we weren't expecting this but I promise it will be alright." Magnus said in a hurt voice. It took a while before he could calm his breathing down enough to respond.

"I can't have a baby all alone. I don't want to have a baby with nowhere to live and no idea how to raise it or take care of it. My poor baby." He said. He was sobbing now, and shaking uncontrollably, barely able to get a good breath.

"You aren't alone!" Magnus exclaimed holding Alec even closer as he tried to comfort him. "Oh sweetheart why would you think you'd be all alone?"

"You can't want this baby Magnus. You're immortal, you have forever to live, you don't want to be saddled with a baby." The panic was quickly overtaking him. He was clutching his chest, desperate for air, as his heart tried to beat it's way out of his chest.

"Magnus this is exactly what I didn't want." Catarina said as she moved next to Alec. "He has to calm down. Breathe kiddo." She said, grabbing his wrists as she had done to Magnus. "Lay him down." She instructed Magnus. The two pushed Alec flat onto the bed, which wasn't difficult since he was now fully in the grip of a panic attack. "Alec, listen to me. I know you're scared but you have _got_ to calm down now. This isn't good for you or the baby. You're in shock right now but I know you love your baby and you would never want to hurt it so you need to calm down before the stress hurts the baby." Catarina implored.

Alec struggled to relax himself but was eventually able to calm down enough to take more even breaths and return his heart rate to normal. He lay on the bed limply, struggling to make sense of the situation. Magnus had said he wouldn't be alone, that meant he wasn't going to leave him right?

"Catarina could you give us a minute?" He heard Magnus ask. The female warlock whispered something back, then left the room. Magnus climbed back onto the bed and laid down next to him.

"Honey, I promise you won't be alone. I love you and I love our baby." He said, staring into Alec's eyes.

"Really?" He asked in a voice that was barely more than a whisper.

"Really."


	21. Relax

Alec took close to twenty minutes to really calm down, during which time Catarina re-entered the room to check his vitals again. Heart rate almost back to normal, breathing pretty evenly, that pesky fever was still around and…

"His blood pressure is way too high Magnus." She whispered in his ear.

"How do we get it down?" He whispered back. Catarina shook her head.

"Let's see if it drops on it's own, if it doesn't then he's going to the hospital. No ifs, and, or buts." Magnus nodded his agreement and Catarina left the room again.

"Honey?" Magnus said to Alex. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, calmer. Is the baby okay?" He questioned. Magnus took it as a good sign that the baby was one of Alec's primary concerns.

"Catarina thinks so but she'd like to check some things out just to make sure."

"Okay." Alec consented and Magnus called Catarina back into the room. Alec remained laying on his back but Magnus stood, holding Alec's hand tightly for encouragement.

Catarina once again pulled out the sonogram machine and the gel. This time when she found the image of the baby she showed the vaguely human shaped creature on the screen, first to Alec then to Magnus. Alec let out a soft gasp when he saw the wriggling baby on the screen. _That_ was growing in his abdomen. That precious tiny beautiful baby. Alec heard a small sniff and looked over to see Magnus crying, tears streaming down his face.

"Honestly Magnus, we're trying to all stay relaxed, remember? At least save the tears for when you hear the heartbeat." Catarina said, slightly worried his reaction would set Alec to crying as well. At the word "heartbeat" Alec grew a little excited.

"Can we…" He started to ask, but Catarina shook her head.

"You're at about eight or nine weeks so the baby does have a heartbeat but it's not strong enough for the handheld to pick up yet. It'll be another two weeks at least before I can really make it out on this thing. An ultrasound machine would be able to pick it up at this stage though." She said, seeing an opportunity to slip the hospital into the conversation.

"Oh." Alec said, clearly a little disappointed.

"If you'll come by the hospital soon though I could let you listen, or we can wait a few more weeks. It's your decision." Catarina shrugged. She was trying not to stress him out any more than he already was, even though she really wanted to pick him up and drag him to the hospital.

"I would like that. Does it, hurt, or anything?" He asked apprehensively, still transfixed by the fetus displayed on the screen.

"Nope, it feels exactly like this except the wand is bigger."

"Magnus can we…" Once again he didn't have to finish his question.

"Of course we can." Magnus said. Catarina put away the sonogram machine and motioned for Alec to sit up. She put the blood pressure cuff on his arm once more and then put on the stethoscope. His blood pressure was still high but it was dropping so she decided against demanding they come right then.

"Today I would like the two of you to stay here and relax." Catarina informed them as she cleaned up the rest of her equipment. Magnus went to fetch Alec another towel for the gel on his stomach. Alec sat up and Catarina pointed at him sternly. "You stay off your feet as much as you can and first thing when I leave, take a nap. You need to recover from the shock you were in. You might throw up once the adrenaline starts wearing off so I'd avoid eating anything heavier than Jell-O until tomorrow morning." She warned as he cleaned off his abdomen. He nodded in compliance, even though he didn't think he knew what Jell-O was, placing two hands over his still flat stomach.

"I'll get some when she leaves." Magnus whispered to him as he took away the now sticky, goopy towel.

"You also need to remember to watch that fever. It's nothing serious now, he might just run hot, but I don't want it to become serious without us noticing." Catarina informed Magnus. He nodded again and the two exited the bedroom.

Alone, Alec changed into his most comfortable sweats and a loose t-shirt that actually belonged to Magnus and crawled back into the bed. He had barely made it under the covers when exhaustion hit him like a truck. When Magnus returned a minute later he was already fast asleep.


	22. Jell-O

**A/N As always a huge thanks to all my fantastic readers and reviewers! I love reading your guys' thoughts and comments about the story.**

As promised Magnus procured a pack of Jell-O cups from a nearby convenience store once Catarina was gone and he saw Alec sleeping contently. He could have easily made them appear on his counter, but the walk was soothing. By the time he arrived in the small store the headache pounding behind his temple had dissipated. He was still tense, but this too was alleviated between the store and his loft.

He had grabbed a pack of raspberry Jell-O cups which he placed in the fridge with his meager collection of groceries, then went back to the bedroom to check on Alec. The boy was still sleeping peacefully, cocooned in the comforter. Surrounded by the huge blanket and curled into a ball, Alec looked incredibly small. Magnus felt a pang of sympathy in his chest as he stared at the innocent, sweet face of the sleeping boy. He thought back to just a few hours ago when he had thought he was the one having a baby. The thought of all the fear he'd felt being pushed onto his angel was awful. He had never really believed in any particular religion, but now he felt the strange compulsion to pray. He pushed aside the urge. What God wanted a demon praying to them?

Alec stirred a little, murmuring nonsense before his beautiful blue eyes opened. He fixed his gaze on Magnus and gave him a sleepy smile. Pushing back the covers, he sat up. Suddenly, the color drained from his face and he took on a pained expression. Before Magnus could react, Alec vomited into his own lap.

"Eew." Alec said, wrinkling his nose. Magnus chuckled a little at the boy's reaction and snapped his fingers. The vomit promptly disappeared to the nearby dump where Magnus sent such stains and messes.

"Catarina did warn us about that one, I guess it's a good thing I picked up the Jell-O while you were sleeping. Trust me it's not nearly as bad coming back up as regular food." He said. Alec just wrinkled his nose again in response.

"Why have you been sprinting off to the bathroom for a week if you can just magic it away?" The pale boy asked, laying back down as he spoke.

"It's still gross. Besides, magic is hard when you've just threw your guts up." He said. Alec gagged a little at the thought.

"No more gross stuff!" He demanded from the bed. Magnus apologized as he made his way to the bathroom for a washcloth and a Dixie cup of water. He brought both to Alec who cleaned himself up then burrowed beneath the covers again.

"Are you still tired sweetie?" Magnus asked once cloth and cup had been disposed of.

"Not sleepy tired, more like sore tired. Does that make sense?"

"You don't want sleep you just don't feel well enough to get up."

"Exactly."

"Well then just stay in the bed and be comfortable. Catarina said to keep you off your feet if I could. Guess I'm doing a pretty awesome job." Magnus said with a grin, prompting Alec to chuckle a little. The raven-haired boy hesitated for a moment then put out his arms, beckoning to Magnus. The warlock climbed onto the bed and lay next to him, pulling the covers over himself.

"Are you mad?" Alec asked quietly.

"About what sweetie?" Magnus said, pushing a stray lock of hair from Alec's face.

"I don't know, about any of this."

"No, I'm not upset. Shocked yes, a little freaked out for sure. But not angry." Magnus assured him. "How are you doing babe?"

"I'm scared. I'm sorry I thought you'd be really awful about this. Knowing that you're not being awful about it only makes me a little less scared though." Alec admitted.

"Can I do anything to help you feel better?" Magnus asked, putting his hands around Alec's waist. There was a long pause before Alec finally answered.

"Don't leave me." He said in a tiny, tear-filled voice.

"Never."

"Promise?"

"I swear." Magnus said. "I will never abandon you or the baby. You mean so much to me Alec. Never think something like this could make those feelings change. You know it won't."

"It's a baby Magnus."

"You've told me stranger things."

"Technically, you told me." Alec teased. Magnus smiled faintly, relieved he was okay enough with the situation to joke around. "Can I come out to the couch and eat?" Alec asked after a few more minutes. In reply Magnus got up, then lifted Alec from the bed and carried him out to the couch. The younger boy giggled as he was gently placed on the couch.

"Do you feel like eating something real or should we stick with the Jell-O?" Magnus asked, walking into the kitchen. Alec thought for a minute, gauging how nauseous he still felt.

"Um, I think the Jell-O stuff."

"Alright." Magnus said, reaching into the fridge for one of the cups of gelatin. By the time he'd separated it from it's pack Alec was laughing at him again. "Cardboard is tough!" he protested. Alec just kept laughing and shook his head. Magnus quickly peeled off the top, grabbed a spoon and brought the cup to Alec.

"I love you." Alec said as he took the food from his boyfriend's hand.

"I love you too."


	23. Goodbye

Alec sat anxiously in the back of the stereotypical yellow cab on the way back to the Institute. After yesterday's small mental breakdown Magnus had insisted that he not walk the long distance. Personally, he much preferred walking over riding in the back of a smelly New York cab. Whatever, the ride would take only a few more minutes. Once home he would pack up the rest of his belongings and then inform his parents that he was moving in with Magnus.

The couple had decided it was best to keep the pregnancy a secret at least for a little while. There was no telling how Maryse and Robert would take the news. They'd barely accepted that their son was in love with another man. The memory of his mother crying over the fact she would get no grandchildren from her firstborn son surfaced in his mind. He chuckled a little, guess she'd be getting a grandbaby after all.

The taxi driver stopped by the curb in front of a gym near the Institute and Alec handed him the money Magnus had given him. He climbed out of the cab and waited until the driver pulled away before he walked down the block to the Institute. Up the stairs he went and through the front door, where he found Isabelle waiting for him. He'd texted her before leaving the loft but he hadn't expected her to be waiting for him.

"You're really moving in with him?" She asked.

"Yeah." Alec said climbing into the elevator.

"So, is there a reason. I mean he didn't like ask you to marry him or anything did he?" Isabelle asked curiously. Alec sighed to himself. He should've known his sister would know something bigger was going on here.

"Izzy, he just wants me to move in with him. That's all." He lied.

"I don't believe you." Isabelle stated bluntly.

"I'm going to have to be ok with that." He replied as the elevator screeched to a halt. He departed and quickly walked to his room, hoping she wouldn't follow. Luck was not on his side. She stood in the doorway as he began packing his clothes into the small suitcase he used when the family traveled. It wasn't big enough for all his things but most of them were already at Magnus's at this point so it would do.

"So?" Isabelle prompted from the door. "What's going on that he all of a sudden wants to move in with you?"

"Iz, nothing is going on. We've been dating for a long time and we both want to take it further. Moving in is the next logical step." He said, trying his best to sound disinterested.

"Alec you're lying to me. I don't like it." She said with a frown.

"I can't tell you right now." He offered. Maybe the confirmation that there was a secret would keep her at bay.

"When can you tell me?" Or not.

"Soon, very soon. We just have to do something first." Alec promised. He was going to have to tell her eventually, so he resolved to do so after they saw Catarina at the hospital later that afternoon.

"How soon is soon?"

"Later today. Meet me at the loft around dinnertime and I promise to tell you then." He turned to look at his sister who was now beaming with pride at having convinced him to let her in on the secret. "Could you please go find mom and dad? I need to tell them I'm leaving." He asked. Isabelle turned on her heel and went to do as he asked.

Robert and Mayrse arrived from opposite directions a few minutes later wearing identical expressions of confusion.

"Alec honey, Isabelle said there was something important going on?" His mother questioned.

"I'm moving out." He said without looking up from the pictures he was packing into a pocket of the suitcase.

"What?" His mother nearly screeched. Now he turned to look at them.

"Magnus has asked me to move in with him, and I said yes."

"Alexander don't be ridiculous." Robert said in a voice filled with outrage. "We tolerated you seeing the warlock but you can't really think moving in with him is acceptable. What will people say?"

"That I love Magnus Bane and I don't care because it's true."

"You can't just!" Robert began, apparently though he didn't actually know what Alec couldn't just because he trailed off without finishing his statement.

"Honey have you really thought about this?" Maryse asked gently.

"I have mom, I'm an adult and I care about him. I want to do this." Alec said.

"I told you we never should have let him see that man!" Robert shouted at Maryse. "We let him think he could get away with anything and now look what he's doing to us!" He turned and stomped down the hallway in a clear fit of rage. Maryse sighed.

"Alec…" She started to say but her son cut her off.

"I love you mom and I love dad too but I am an adult. I have to make my own decisions now, even if you don't agree with him." He gathered the last of his possessions in his arms, kissed his mother on the cheek and walked out of the New York Institute for what could very well be the last time in his life.


	24. Irritation

Tears flowed down Alec's cheeks as he bounded down the steps of the Institute. He had promised Magnus he would take a cab, but he didn't want to wait for one. So down the street he went with the majority of his worldly possessions in his arms and tears on his cheeks. Alec had to admit that he'd expected worse, but that didn't make what he got any less painful. He was convinced now that he shouldn't, couldn't, and wouldn't tell them about the baby. Something so sweet and innocent didn't deserve to be ruined by his parents and their relentless desire for what they viewed as a perfect family.

Magnus and the baby and him, they could be happy together. He didn't need his parents, he didn't need the Clave for that matter! _But I want my mama_, whispered a small voice in his mind. The tears came faster. It was ridiculous but he had hoped to have Maryse's support through all of this. Alec wasn't sure why, she hadn't been very supportive in general since he started dating Magnus.

Whatever, if that's the way they wanted to be that's the way could be. Alec squared his shoulders as he continued along down the street. He didn't need them or their approval! He was a strong, smart, full-fledged member of the Clave!

"Alec?" He heard a female voice call his name. Looking around he saw Clary walking up to him, presumably on her way to the Institute. "What are you doing?" She gestured to his suitcase and the other small bag he'd filled with stuff.

"Leaving. I'm moving in with Magnus." He said with a shrug.

"That's so great!" Clary said, breaking out into a wide grin. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks." He said, returning her smile. He had thus far been staring at the ground but now he lifted his face to meet hers.

"You've been crying." She observed.

"Yeah, it's nothing. Mom and Dad weren't…" He shrugged not knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry."

"It's no big deal. I've got to get going. I'll see you around, okay?" Alec said. Clary nodded and they each continued in their respective directions. Her towards the Institute that had become her home, him away from the only home he'd ever known.

* * *

Magnus ran around his loft cleaning like a mad man. That morning he'd asked Alec to move in with him and had been elated when the boy accepted. Then he'd remembered all the junk stashed away in closets Alec had never seen. So immediately after he'd left to get his things Magnus had started running around like the house was on fire trying to get rid of the collection of knickknacks and trinkets one tends to accumulate over several centuries of life.

Chairman Meow watched all this from the couch with more than a hint of disdain. Magnus saw him watching and with a heavy heart realized that a cat of his temper might not be good to have around a baby. Chairman Meow might have to find a new home. Maybe he could just become an outside cat, he snuck off a lot anyways. Magnus was still contemplating the fate of the Chairman when the door to the loft swung open.

Alec walked in, carrying a small suitcase and a backpack, that were both crammed with stuff. Magnus found it amazing that all the boy's things could fit in the two tiny containers. Granted most of his clothes already had a home in the large wooden dresser in their bedroom but still.

"What's with the trash bag?" Alec asked, setting his baggage down by the door. Magnus realized he was still holding one of the large black garbage bags he'd been throwing junk in and threw it to the side.

"Just cleaning up a little. You know, freeing up some closet space now that we're going to be sharing." He said casually. Alec pulled off his shoes and collapsed onto the couch with a yawn. "Tired?" His boyfriend asked, concerned.

"A little. Mom and Dad didn't take it very well. I didn't want to wait for a cab to leave so I just walked." He admitted.

"Alec we agreed that you shouldn't…"

"I'm fine Magnus." Alec cut in. "I feel perfectly okay and I'm not that far along. You don't have to worry about me taking a fifteen minute walk."

"I don't have to but I will anyway." Magnus said with a pout. He wasn't too thrilled that Alec had walked after promising to take a cab. He didn't want him using up too much energy until Catarina could look at him. Yesterday's events had taken a large toll and he didn't want to exacerbate the situation. Alec just shook his head.

"When are we seeing Catarina?" He asked.

"One-fifteen, it's just now one O'clock." Magnus informed him. Alec peeled himself off the couch and put his arms around Magnus's waist, burying his face in the warlock's chest. He was rewarded with a kiss on top of the head and a tight hug. "Are you sleepy honey? We can postpone."

"No, I'm okay. I want to go." Alec insisted.

"You're sure?"

"Magnus stop babying me, I'm fine and I want to go." He said more severely than necessary. The warlock recoiled, hurt.

"Let's just go." Magnus said, pulling away from Alec's embrace. The boy sighed and nodded his agreement. The couple exited the loft and descended the stairs together. Once on the street they didn't walk side by side but a little ways apart and with Magnus a few steps behind.


	25. A Little Heartbeat

They walked to the hospital in silence. Alec knew he'd been harsh to Magnus but he'd meant what he'd said and wouldn't take it back. He'd apologize for his severity later.

"This is it." Magnus said. He placed a hand on the small of Alec's back and led him up the front steps of the hospital. Catarina waited for them by a nurse's station near the entrance. She showed the pair to an exam room near the one she'd brought Magnus to the day before. Magnus took a seat in one of the plastic chairs against the wall.

"Could you put this on for me?" Catarina asked. She held out a small blue gown to Alec. He nodded hesitantly and took it from her hand. Blushing, he realized he would have to change in the middle of the small room. Luckily for him Catarina quickly caught on to his discomfort and excused herself. She decided now would not be a good time to tell the boy she'd need to see everything pretty soon anyway.

Alec pulled off his shirt, shoes, and socks and set them on the empty chair next to Magnus's. He slid the gown over his head and tied it in the back before removing his jeans and underwear. His apparent desire to keep his modesty on this visit worried Magnus. Alec didn't appear to realize what this was going to entail. Opening the door a little he peeked into the hall and called for Catarina.

"All ready?" She asked, washing her hands in the sink. Alec grew pale but nodded and sat up on the table at the female warlock's instruction. "Before we start I've got some questions for you." Catarina said, pulling out a form.

"Okay." Alec responded meekly.

"Have you been sick or nauseous at all?"

"Um. Last night I got sick but that's it."

"What about fatigue?"

"Yeah I've definitely been tired. I thought I just wasn't sleeping well."

"Okay. What about your mood? Have you noticed yourself acting out of character lately?"

"Yeah." Alec said softly. Catarina smiled encouragingly.

"That's perfectly normal. It's just your hormones adjusting for the baby. I suspect that the further into this you get the symptoms will worsen because your hormones have to shift so much." She said, putting aside the form. Both Alec and Magnus groaned a little. She ignored them and got up to adjust the back of the table. With a wave of her hand she motioned for Alec to lean back into the semi-sitting position.

"Do you want to do crappy part first or hear the baby's heartbeat?" She asked.

"Crappy part." Alec answered. Catarina nodded and produced a thin sheet from a cabinet under the sink. She laid it over his lap then reached to the bottom of the table and pulled out the stirrups to support his legs, snapping them into place she looked up at her patient's face. Alec looked stricken. Mouth gaping, he was blushing again.

"I, um." He stammered.

"Yeah I know. It's weird and embarrassing but I have to check some stuff out so it's got to be done." Catarina said. He hesitated a moment more but then placed his feet in the stirrups. She spread the sheet over his lap then pulled up the gown to around his belly button. Alec had his eyes closed now and he kept them that way through Catarina's exam, as if that would make it less awkward.

Finding that everything seemed to be in working order, she let him put his legs down and folded the stirrups into their slots on the bed again. The poor boy's face was still bright red and his eyes had become glassy with tears of embarrassment. Catarina decided to pretend she didn't notice and just move on in hopes of making him a little more comfortable.

"Ready to hear the heartbeat now?" She asked, reaching for the cart holding the sonogram machine. Alec nodded excitedly and even smiled a little. Magnus stood next to Alec now and held his hand.

Leaving the sheet on his lap she pulled the gown all the way up to his waist and poured a line of gel along his lower abdomen. At the press of a button the machine came to life and she pressed the wand into the gel. It took her only seconds to locate the baby, which she pointed out to the parents on the screen.

"Whoa." Was Alec's only reaction to seeing the inch long child kicking around inside him. He'd seen it yesterday of course but the picture had been too small to see much more than a general outline. Now however, it was a distinctly humanoid form with four tiny limbs and a little face.

"See this blurry spot?" Catarina asked pointing out a spot on the screen. Both Magnus and Alec nodded. "That's it's heart beating."

"Whoa." Alec repeated. She pressed a button on the monitor and a sound filled the room. An incredibly fast thumping that brought tears to Magnus's eyes. They quickly spilled onto his cheeks as he clutched his love's hand. It took a little longer for Alec to understand what the sound was. When realization dawned on him his face lit up and he teared up as well, although he didn't cry.

"It's a good solid heartbeat. Exactly what we like to hear." Catarina told them with a smile. The three of them sat there listening for a few more minutes before Catarina turned off the machine. "Everything looks pretty good. I want to see that baby get a little bigger pretty soon but right now it's all fine." She said standing. Reaching into a folder on the counter she pulled out a packet of information which she handed to Magnus as Alec cleaned up the gel with a paper towel.

"What's this?" Magnus asked, accepting the packet of papers.

"Information about pregnancy. It's mostly general stuff about symptoms and possible complications. Read it, both of you." She instructed. Magnus rolled his eyes but smiled at her and gave a quick nod. Alec, who was dressing, nodded as well. Catarina shook her head at Magnus then turned back to the sonogram machine and punched a few buttons before leaving the room.

"Ready to go?" Magnus asked as Alec folded up the blue gown and placed it on the counter.

"Yes." He said with a nod. The two turned to the door just as Catarina re-entered through it carrying a small rectangle of photo paper. She handed it to Alec who flipped it over to reveal a picture of the sonogram on the other side. He smiled at her and she grinned back.

"Baby's first picture." She explained before moving out of the doorway. Alec and Magnus both thanked her before exiting the small room. Now in a much better mood, Alec took hold of his boyfriend's hand and didn't let go all the way back to their now shared loft.


	26. Support

**A/N I just want to say thanks to everyone who favorite/followed this story and of course to my awesome reviewers and readers!**

Six O'clock found Alec pacing the living room for in anticipation of his sister's arrival. He had the picture Catarina gave them in one hand and his small cellphone in the other. Briefly, he had considered calling her to cancel the meeting but in the end he knew he needed to tell her. She was his sister, he loved her and would be devastated if she ever kept something so important from him so he couldn't keep this from her. He could only hope she would take the news well and agree not to tell on him. Magnus wanted to tell Maryse and Robert but Alec was still convinced this was a bad idea. They'd not be one bit happy about it and if the Clave found out Alec didn't know what they'd do.

"Alec?" Isabelle asked. He looked up in surprise. He'd been so absorbed in his thoughts she'd slipped in unnoticed.

"Hey." He said, hiding the photo in his back pocket.

"So what's up?" She questioned, taking a seat on the couch. Alec sat down on the coffee table across from her and took a long, shaky breath.

"You're going to be a little shocked Iz. You may not even believe me, but I assure you that what I'm about to say is the truth. Okay?" He started. Isabelle nodded, eyes wide, and he continued. "A few months ago Magnus was helping a friend with an experimental potion. They though it failed but it didn't and it led to a rather unexpected side effect. I'm pregnant Isabelle."

"What?"

"I'm having a baby." He pulled the picture out of his pocket and handed it to her as if to validate what he was saying. His sister merely stared it in shock for at least two full minutes before saying.

"How?"

"Like I said they were working on an experiment. The point was to find a way to make warlocks fertile. Testing showed that it didn't work but evidently it did."

"You're seriously going to have a baby?"

"Yeah."

"Oh my God, I'm going to be an Aunt!"

"Yeah."

"Mom and Dad are going to flip!"

"Yeah. That's why we aren't telling them."

"Alec you can't hide a baby from them." Isabelle said practically.

"Not forever. But I can hide a pregnancy for a few months until I figure out what to say to them." He countered. She nodded at this, then looked away, thinking.

"Magnus knows?" She asked. Alec nodded. "That's why he asked you to move in." It was a statement not a question, but Alec confirmed it with a nod anyway. "How long have you known?"

"I found out yesterday. We got this," He tapped the photo. "A few hours ago."

"When is the baby due?" Isabelle questioned.

"Well it's the middle of January now and I'm like two months pregnant so…" He quickly did the math inside his head. "The middle of July."

"Wow. This is all so…"

"Crazy?"

"Yeah."

"I know."

"So, are you okay with all of this Alec?" His sister asked, handing back the picture.

"I was really freaked out at first, but once I calmed down and thought about it, everything started seeming okay." Alec admitted.

"How's Magnus taking all of this? Come to think of it where is he?"

"He wanted to give us some privacy and he realized we had no food so he's at the store. He's doing okay with it, better than me. I think I hurt him though."

"How so?"

"When I found out, I panicked. I thought he wouldn't want the baby and that I'd end up alone. I was imagining the worst and I told him what that was. I basically accused him of being a jerk and saying he'd leave us on the streets." Alec said, his face was filled with sadness and regret. Isabelle felt a pang of sympathy for him mixed with the giddiness that filled her when she saw that on the word _us_, her brother dropped a hand to the part of his abdomen where his baby would be.

"Oh I'm sure he understands that you didn't mean that!" She exclaimed. He must have been so terrified to find out he was having a baby. To her at least, it seemed reasonable and acceptable for him to freak out a little.

"I really hope so." Alec said with a shaky smile. Isabelle leaned forward to hug him tightly.

"It's gonna be okay."

"You're alright with your brother having a baby?" Alec chuckled. Isabelle leaned away from him a minute and gave a tiny smile. She leaned back in to embrace him again.

"I love you bubby."

"I love you sissy."


	27. Frustrating Developments

Isabelle convinced Alec to join her and the gang at Taki's for dinner, and after writing a quick note to Magnus the two were off. When they arrived Jace, Clary and, Simon were already seated in the usual corner booth. The sibling slid into opposite sides of the booth so that they were across from each other. The three boys on one side and the two girls on the other.

"Good to see you Clary, Simon." Alec said giving each a nod in turn.

"It's nice to see you too. So, Clary tells me you moved in with Magnus today. Already all unpacked?" Simon asked. Jace's head snapped up to stare at his adoptive brother.

"You moved out?" He demanded.

"Yeah, I got the last of my stuff this afternoon." Alec replied. His attempt to act casual came off fake and he knew it.

"Without telling me." Jace said. It stung, but he was right, Alec nodded. Silence fell over the group until Kaelie, the waitress came to take their order. Starting with the Isabelle they went around in a circle to request their food and drink. When they came to Alec he said.

"The special of the day please. Oh and a cup of coffee."

"Alec!" Isabelle protested.

"What?"

"You can't order that." She said, dumbfounded.

"Why not? I like the special today, it's soup." He said gesturing to the menu board by the door.

"I meant you can't have the coffee you moron! It's so bad for the….Ow!" Isabelle shouted when she received a swift quick to the shin from her brother.

"I'm having the cup of coffee." Alec said turning to Kaelie. She shrugged and walked away to put in their orders. Isabelle opened her mouth to protest again but Alec grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the far corner of the restaurant. "What is the matter with you?" He asked. "You can't tell them about the baby Isabelle."

"Why not? And I wasn't trying to tell them, I was telling you that coffee is bad for pregnant people." She retorted in a voice much too loud for Alec's comfort.

"It's not your job to tell me that! And for your information Catarina gave me this packet and it says that I can have a cup of coffee if I want to!" Alec said in an angry whisper. "And you can't tell them because I'm not ready." His voice became soft and scared. Isabelle looked up to see tears forming in the corner of her brother's eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, please don't be upset. I shouldn't have said anything." Isabelle said quickly pulling her brother into a tight embrace. He hugged her back briefly then walked back to the booth and slid into his seat with a fake smile plastered onto his face.

"No I haven't unpacked yet. Still waiting for Magnus to clean me out some closet space." He joked as if the past few minutes had never happened. Everyone stared at him and Isabelle oddly but no one questioned their odd exchange. Just then Kaelie returned with a tray of drinks and distributed them around the table. Alec took his coffee and with great delight took a large gulp. From across the table Isabelle glared at him, his only response was to smile at her sweetly.

"So, Alec." Clary began. "What prompted Magnus to finally ask? Are you two thinking about getting married?"

"No. We just thought it was time that I officially moved in since I spend most nights there anyway." Alec said.

"You two should get married." Isabelle interjected. "I mean why not? She asked.

"We aren't ready for marriage." He sputtered. Was she seriously going to do this hinting around all night?

"Oh. I just assumed, since you are pretty much always together and…_stuff_… That you were pretty close to getting engaged." She said. It was now Alec's turn to glare.

"Well we're not." Alec said decisively. He looked around to find that once again all of the table's occupants were staring at him. With a sigh he stood and exited the restaurant, the cold of January biting at his skin as he strode down the sidewalk, ignoring his siblings voices as they called after him.


	28. Find Him

Magnus sat on the couch flipping idly through a book. It was a new release he'd picked up while at the store and so far, it was disappointing. Generic title, generic characters, generic plotline. With a sigh he threw it onto the coffee table to maybe be read later, probably not. Now he pulled out his cellphone and began to text various clients.

He'd decided that it would probably be best not to meet with them in the loft with a pregnant partner now and in a few months a baby around. His clients would probably complain about the change, particularly the long standing ones but it was worth it to ensure his little family's safety. This little one was going to bring about a lot of changes in the next few months. They'd need to turn the spare bedroom into a nursery at some point, probably soon before Alec was too pregnant to help set it up. Magnus might be a warlock but he was sure cribs and changing tables were beyond his field of knowledge, he was going to need any help he could get.

Sleep would soon become a thing of the past as well. This was the thing Magnus would be saddest to part with, even over the temporary loss of the sex he had only just acquired. The warlock valued his beauty sleep, he worked harder than most people thought spending several hours a day performing complicated spells and brewing potions for various clients. On top of that there was an extensive amount of research that went into his work.

Chairman Meow jumped up onto his lap, meowing for attention, and once again Magnus considered the cat's fate. He'd certainly miss his little furry companion but if he wouldn't tolerate the baby then he'd have to go.

"Will you please be good?" Magnus begged, giving the cat a scratch on the chin. The cat gave him an inquisitive stare before settling in next to him for a nap. He sighed. Well, maybe he could wait and see how the cat would react to a baby. Yeah, that was an alright plan. Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Magnus shouted.

"It's Jace, Clary, and Isabelle." Came the reply in the male Shadowhunter's voice.

"And Simon!" Added the vampire.

"Whatever." Said Jace. Magnus could hear the two have a short scuffle in the hallway as he walked over to answer it. Opening the door, he leaned in the doorway.

"What can I do for you four?" He asked.

"We were hoping that Alec was here." Clary piped up from behind Jace and Isabelle, who dominated the entryway. Magnus's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"I thought he was with all of you at Taki's." He replied.

"Oh." Clary said with widening eyes.

"He was." Cut in Jace. "But he got upset and left."

"What did you do?" Magnus questioned severely. He stared Jace down as his mind whirred, trying to think of a place where Alec might be.

"I did nothing." He pointed at Isabelle. "Whatever scared him off was her doing."

"I didn't do anything!" Isabelle shouted at her brother. The warlock sighed and moved to permit the four into his loft. They entered and he shut the door behind him, not bothering to lock it.

"What happened?" He asked, trying to stay calm.

"We went to the restaurant and had a disagreement about what he wanted to order." Isabelle said. "We sorted that out and then he got upset over something I said and stormed out."

"She told him not to order coffee and he got mad, then she was talking about marriage and he left." Simon simplified. Magnus nodded and turned to Isabelle.

"Do you have any idea where he might be?" He asked her. She shook her head no. "Then go home and try not to do anything else stupid along the way." He turned to Clary. "Do you have any ideas?"

"No I don't" She admitted.

"Then you go back to the Institute with her and babysit." Magnus instructed. Isabelle's mouth dropped open and she blushed but no words passed her lips. Clary just nodded and grabbed Isabelle's arm, pulling her out of the loft.

"You're his brother and his parabati." Magnus said turning to Jace. "Where would he go?"

Jace laughed a little. "I barely know him anymore. He moved out today and didn't say a word to me about it."

"That was my fault. Don't blame him. I sprung the invitation to move in on him this morning really quickly and it's been a very emotional time for him these past couple of days." Magnus tried to explain.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why has it been an emotional time for him? Why is my parabati keeping things from me, important things that are clearly affecting his whole life?"

"Why are we discussing this when he's missing?" Simon cut in. Jace and Magnus both turned to stare at him. "It's my experience that finding people is easier when you look for them." He reiterated.

"He's right, we need to find him. This can wait." Jace agreed. Magnus nodded

"Please help me find him." Magnus asked. The two boys nodded and all three walked out the door.


	29. Conversations With a Stranger

**A/N I'm sorry that updates have been so infrequent. I'm going to try and get a few more chapters in before Thursday night when I leave on a trip for a little over a week. As always thanks to my awesome readers and reviewers!**

Alec walked briskly down the street, doing his best to ignore the biting cold. As he went his mind whirred thousands of miles an hour. He was sure now that he couldn't have this baby, look what had already happened and he'd only known about the child for a day. He'd snapped at Magnus, he'd snapped at Isabelle, Isabelle was being a little brat about the situation.

But, he loved his baby. He couldn't get rid of it, or at least he knew he wouldn't be able to abort it. Maybe a family could be found to take in the little one. A family that could properly take care of it, not an immortal warlock that would have to watch his child grow old and wither away and a Nephilim whose family would hate him when they found out what he'd done.

The thought of handing over his baby to someone else caused tears to fill his eyes and before he knew it Alec was leaning against a building sobbing helplessly.

"Excuse me, excuse me." Alec looked up to see a woman in her mid-thirties standing next to him. "Are you alright sweetie?" The woman asked gently. Alec wiped the tears off his face with the back of his hand and nodded.

"Yes, I'm okay. Thank you." He choked out.

"Oh, no you aren't dear." She said, carefully placing a hand on his shoulder. "Would you like to use my phone? I haven't got a cell phone on me but my building is right there." The woman offered, pointing to the apartments across the street.

"No. Thank you, I have a cell phone." He assured her.

"Come in any way, you look you need to talk."

"You aren't worried about having a strange teenage boy in your house?"

"Are you going to hurt me?"

"No."

"Then I don't need to worry." She said simply before taking his hand and leading him across the street. Her apartment was on the eleventh floor of the building so they boarded an elevator in the lobby. "I'm Andrea." She told him as the doors screeched shut.

"Alec." He said back. The elevator dinged and they both walked out and proceeded down a long hallway until Andrea stopped at a door. After a moment of fumbling with her purse she unlocked the door and waved Alec inside.

"Drea?" A male voice asked from within the apartment.

"It's me Adam." Andrea called back. "My husband." She explained directing Alec to a couch in the small living room. "I'll be right back." She said as he sat down. Andrea disappeared into another room for a few minutes and had a quiet conversation with her husband. When she returned Alec was startled to see her carrying an infant who was sleeping contentedly.

"How old?" He asked with a nod towards the baby.

"Two months." She answered, taking a seat in a recliner across from him. "Would you like to hold him?" She questioned. Alec hesitated, then nodded and Andrea carefully passed him the tiny bundle. Alec sat cross legged on the couch, holding the little boy close to his chest.

"He's beautiful." Alec said, staring down at the baby's tiny heart shaped mouth and button nose.

"Thank you." Andrea said, smiling widely with a mother's pride.

"I'm going to be a father." Alec admitted.

"Aww, how soon?" The woman inquired.

"This summer. In the middle of July." He informed her as he idly ran the pad of his thumb over the smooth skin of the baby's cheek.

"If you don't mind my asking, how old are you and the mother?" Andrea questioned. Alec blushed a little before he responded.

"Nineteen, the same age as me."

"You're scared to be a dad." It was a statement but Alec answered anyway, giving Andrea a quick nod.

"It's a scary concept, and there's drama going on too." He said.

"Do you want to talk about?"

"Well there's the mom's sister who is being really, I don't know pushy and a little rude to her. She's scared too. Her parents aren't going to be nice about this and she's very scared to tell them, and then you know there's the whole thing about having a baby and taking care of it." He stopped and let out a long breath. "The mother has been thinking that maybe adoption is the best option for the baby."

"Do you want her to give up the baby?"

"I want to go back and fix this situation so that it never happened and I wouldn't be a parent at nineteen. But since that isn't an option, I want our baby but not if we can't give it everything it deserves." He confessed to Andrea, who watched him sympathetically.

"I think that makes you a great dad Alec." She said simply.

"What does?" He asked, gently rocking the baby who had begun to fuss a little.

"Saying that you want the best for the baby, even if that means it's future doesn't include you." Andrea clarified. She took the baby back as he began to wail and excused herself to go and change his diaper.

Once Andrea was out of the room Alec really considered for the first time where he was and what he was doing. In a stranger's house pouring his heart out about how he felt. He should be discussing these things with Magnus, not a stranger, no matter how kind that stranger may be. He stood to leave just as Andrea returned, the baby was now presumably with his father.

"leaving?" She asked kindly. He nodded and she moved to give him a hug. He returned the embrace for a second then made his way to the door.

"Thank you for being so kind to me." Alec said to her as he opened the front door. She simply nodded and gave him a sweet smile. He returned the smile and left the apartment to go home to Magnus. They had a lot to talk about.


	30. Seriously?

Magnus sat on a Central Park bench with his head in his hands. It had been close to an hour since they'd started looking for Alec and there was still no sign of him.

"Magnus?" Simon said quietly. The warlock looked up at him miserably. "It's late and I know you're worried but I think the best thing we can all do right now is go home and wait until morning. He probably just needs some time to cool off."

"I agree with him." Said Jace from his perch in a nearby tree. "He's my Parabati and I want to find him just as much as you do but he's and adult and a Nephilim. He's capable of protecting himself and I think he'll come home when he's ready."

Magnus looked at the two boys and nodded as he let out a sigh.

"You're right." Magnus agreed. Slowly he stood up off the bench and pulled out his cell phone to try calling his boyfriend one last time. As with each previous call it rang, and rang and then went to voicemail. He let out another sigh as he listened to Alec's voice tell him to leave his name and number. This time he didn't bother to leave a voicemail, he'd already left at least twelve that he remembered and the odds that Alec would respond to this one were slim since the others had gone unnoticed or ignored thus far.

"Alright boys, you two go home. Thanks for helping me look. I'll text you both if he come's home tonight." Magnus said. Both Simon and Jace nodded, then went their separate ways back to their homes. Magnus stood in the park for a few more minutes then took off in the direction off the loft. As he walked he thought about all the places Alec could have been at that exact moment; Safe at home in the loft, wandering the streets cooling his temper, a hospital scheduling an abortion. No, Alec wouldn't do that. But he could still be in some pretty bad places doing some pretty bad things.

He shook thoughts like that from his head as snow gently began to fall. He walked more hurriedly to get out of the frigid temperatures. It only took him about fifteen minutes to get back to his apartment from the section of park where they had been, a fact for which he was supremely grateful as the snow had begun to fall even faster in the past few minutes.

Magnus let himself in and walked into the loft. He peered into the kitchen where he could hear noise he assumed to be Chairman to find Alec dishing out a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs.

"Alexander." Magnus snapped through gritted teeth. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I went for a walk and then I came back here and made dinner, I thought we could eat together and talk." The teenager said sweetly.

"You have no idea how worried we were about you, why didn't you answer your cell phone?"

"I turned it off." Alec said with a shrug, as if this should have been obvious.

"Seriously? You disappeared on us Alec!" Magnus yelled angrily, throwing his arms into the air. "You just left and we had no idea here you were and you wouldn't answer your phone! God, I was afraid something really awful might have happened to you!" He screamed, knocking a dish off the counter. It shattered on the floor sending shards skidding across the wooden floor.

"Magnus." Alec said softly. The warlock looked at his boyfriend. He was pressed against the counter like he was trying to disappear and both of his hands were pressed to his abdomen in what appeared to be a defensive gesture. He was frightened.

"Oh, baby." Magnus said, taking a step towards Alec he put his arms out. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it. Honey I didn't want to upset you."

After he had taken a moment to ensure Magnus had really calmed down Alec leapt into his embrace. His eyes watered a little but with a few deep breaths he managed to stop them from becoming real tears. Pulling Magnus as tightly to him as he could Alec kissed his cheek lightly.

"I'm so sorry." Magnus apologized again for his outburst.

"It's okay Magnus, can we just eat and talk now? Please?" Alec asked. "We need to talk."

Magnus nodded his head and broke the embrace. "Yes baby, we can talk now."


	31. Work Things Out

The pair sat down at their small dining table with bowls of spaghetti and meatballs. For a few minutes they ate silently but then they made eye contact and both tried to speak at once.

"You first." Alec said.

"Okay." Magnus nodded. "I think we're going for a totally honest and open dialogue here so I'm just going to go for it. You can't run off on me like that Alec. I know you can take care of yourself but it's more than just your safety now. Maybe you feel like I shouldn't be able to tell you to do anything and ordinarily I'd agree. But we're having a baby and just because you're the one carrying it doesn't mean you get to act like an idiot!" He said, his temper was rising and he began to shout. "That baby is mine too and I love it! I have the right to tell you not to do stupid shit that could endanger the little one. This is difficult for me too okay? You aren't the only one dealing with stuff because of it." Magnus finished.

"I know and I'm sorry." Alec replied. "I just got fed up with the way Isabelle was acting, I shouldn't have run off like that. It was childish."

"Yeah it was, and I forgive you for it but I want you to know how scared I was for you and that of you ever put me through that again there's going to be hell to pay for it." Magnus said authoritatively. He'd been tip toeing around his boyfriend for two days and he was finished with. Alec's little pity party and subsequent bitchy attitude were over. "And another thing, I don't appreciate you snapping at me like stuff's my fault when we both know it isn't" Magnus said in reference to his little outburst before the doctor's appointment. "There that's what I have to say, your turn."

"I'm not sure I want to keep this baby." Alec confessed. Magnus opened his mouth to reply to this news then shut again quickly, it was Alec's turn to talk. "I don't know if I can handle all of the pressure and the stress that this is putting on me. On _us_." He amended. "I'm scared to have a baby, I don't know how I'm going to tell my family or what they're going to say. It just all feels like too much Magnus." He finished. Magnus nodded and took a deep breath.

"Are you saying that you don't want to carry this baby to term?" Magnus asked. Alec hesitated a little before answering.

"I'm not really all that sure what I want, I don't want to get an abortion but….I don't know."

"Are you considering adoption to be a valid option right now?" Magnus inquired.

"Yeah I am." The boy admitted.

"Then I think it's only fair of me to inform you that I don't want to give away our baby. I won't sign any paperwork or anything to allow you to put him or her up for adoption."

"That's not fair Magnus! You have to respect whatever I decide or how can I trust you to be supportive?"

"It's my baby too and what's not fair is you thinking that you can just give it away without consulting me. I'm telling you right now Alexander that if you give up that baby, you're giving it to me."

"I was really hoping that you would say that." Alec said. He was crying now, his food pushed off to the side and long forgotten. "Magnus I love this baby and I want to keep it but I'm so afraid that we wouldn't be able to do this."

"Do what honey?" Magnus questioned.

"Be good parents." He sobbed. Magnus got up and walked around the table to put an arm around Alec's shoulders.

"Hey, it's going to be alright. I know it is, we're going to get through this and raise this baby together. Okay?"

"Yeah." Alec choked out. "Are you still upset with me?"

"No sweetie."

"Okay, then we've only got one more thing to worry about." Alec said gravely.

"What's that?"

"We still have to tell my parents." He said. Magnus cringed a little at the thought of that conversation. _"Hello Robert and Maryse, I'm here to inform you that in seven moths you're going to be grandparents because I knocked up your son."_ Yeah, fun times that was going to be.

"Let's discuss a plan of attack for that later." Magnus said. "The food's getting cold."


	32. The Parents

**A/N Okay this is probably going to be the last new chapter for a while because I'm moving and won't have internet from tomorrow evening until the 14****th****or 15****th****so it's extra-long for you guys. As always thanks to my readers and reviewers. You guys are awesome! **

**P.S. Make sure to comment and tell me what you guys want to see in the story, I'm always happy to include scenes you guys want to see.**

_Three Weeks Later_

"Magnus I don't know if I can do this." Alec said, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans.

"Well baby we can wait if you want but personally I think we've waited as long as we can." The warlock said as he pulled on his shoes, getting ready to go to the Institute with Alec. "You're twelve weeks now and it won't be much longer before it starts to get noticeable."

Alec had to admit Magnus had a point, his stomach was already starting to push out the tiniest bit, creating a curve to his abdomen that would certainly be noticed soon. In addition to that there was the fact that he'd stopped going on hunts and going to the Institute to train due to the fatigue and nausea that had become a part of everyday life in the past three weeks. And if no one noticed that they were sure to figure out when he gave birth in six months. He stood up and made for the door, his parents had to be told today even if it killed him.

Seeing the determined look on Alec's face Magnus quickly followed and they set off in the direction of the Institute.

"You know if you want we could start with someone other than your parents." Magnus said as the two hurried down the street. February was no warmer than January had been and both men were anxious to get out of the cold as soon as they could.

"What do you mean?" Alec inquired.

"We could start with our friends. Like Clary and Jace." He clarified.

"No." Alec shook his head. "That'll be harder than mom and dad. Too many explanations."

"Good point." Magnus said with a nod. "So your parents? How do you think they're going to react? I'd like to know if my life is in danger." He said, drawing a chuckle from Alec.

"I don't think they could hurt you, unless they call in the Clave." The boy answered with real concern in his voice. "Which they could do."

"Don't they need a reason for that?"

"Yes, but I'm pretty sure they could make one up pretty easily."

"I'm not scared of them."

"I am."

The Institute loomed above them, the cloud-darkened sky making it look even more ominous as the men approached.

"Are you ready?" Magnus asked as they approached the front steps.

"I'm going to have to be." Alec replied before pulling open the front door of his former home.

They had called his parents ahead of time to be sure they would both be there so it was no surprise that both Robert and Maryse were waiting right inside the entryway for them.

"Alec." His mother said, coming up to give him a hug. He embraced her back, enjoying what he feared would be the last affection his mother would ever show him.

"Shall we go upstairs?" Robert said in a commanding, I said it like a question but you don't actually have an option, tone of voice.

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea." His son replied after breaking the hug. The group followed Robert as he led them upstairs to the office shared by himself and his wife. They all took seats, which someone, Alec suspected his mother, had arranged in a circle instead of behind and in front of the desks. Once they all settled Maryse spoke again.

"So, what was it that you needed to tell us Alec? Is everything alright?" She asked nervously.

"Yeah mom, I'm alright. I'm great actually." Alec paused and reached over for Magnus's hand. Holding it tightly in his own he stared at his boyfriend's beautiful cat eyes as he said. "We're going to be parents."

"Alec, I had no idea that you and Magnus were thinking of adopting. Dear are you sure that this is a good idea, I mean…" His mother began. He cut her off.

"No mom, you don't understand. We aren't adopting a baby, we're having a baby." He clarified for her.

"My opinion stays the same Alec, using a surrogate doesn't change how I feel about you two having a child together." She said. Alec sighed, clearly he was going to have to spell this out for them.

"Mom, dad, listen to me Magnus and I aren't adopting or using a surrogate or anything else like that. I am having a baby."

"Don't be ridiculous Alec, even if you are capable of getting pregnant warlocks are sterile. You would have to use a sperm donor and that would just mean…" Robert time it was Magnus's turn to cut off the speaker.

"The pair of you seem to be misunderstanding. I believe that you believe that this is merely a hypothetical child we are speaking of that we wish to have in the future. I assure you it is not." He told them.

"Look, I understand. You're in the honeymoon phase, you want kids and a dog and a white picket fence. I get it." Robert tried to start again.

"No dad you don't get it. Neither one of you is getting it." Alec said abruptly. He stood up and took off his shirt before grabbing one of his mother's hands and pressing it firmly to his abdomen. "Mommy." He said with tears in his eyes. "I'm carrying a baby. Right now, at this exact second there is a tiny little baby growing in here." Maryse pulled away her hand quickly as she stared up at her son in shock. After a moment her expression became one of rage and her head snapped to the side to stare squarely at Magnus.

"What did you do to him?" She ground out in a tone that was dark and low.

"I don't understand the question ma'am." Was the warlock's response.

"What did you do to my son?" She screeched.

"Nothing I didn't want to do!" Alec shouted back at her as he pulled his shirt back over his head. "He didn't know that this could happen and neither did I mom."

"Alec don't defend that monster." Robert said. He was still seated with both his hands over his face.

"He is not a monster father. He loves me, and our baby." Alec said. Magnus moved to stand behind Alec, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lightwood, allow me to assure you that I have no intention of leaving your son with this responsibility. I love him and our child very much and while I admit that this pregnancy was unexpected I love your son and fully support your son and I could not be more thrilled that we get to raise this child together." Magnus said, he was speaking straight from the heart and hoped that the Lightwoods would pick up on his sincerity. For several long minutes the room was filled with a deafening silence. And then…

"Get out of my house Alexander." Robert growled.

"But dad.."

"You are no son of mine! You have time and time again disgraced the name of Lightwood and I say no more!" Alec had always had a family ring and while it didn't fit his hand he'd taken to wearing it on a chain around his neck in the past few years. Now, his father reached forward to rip the ring from his neck. Alec jerked back as if his father had delivered a full-force, open-handed slap.

"Robert, I can't lose another son." Maryse whispered in a barely audible voice.

"Don't you see? We've already lost him! This filthy demon has corrupted his mind and his body. He's allowed himself to be defiled!" Robert shouted.

"But…" His wife tried again.

"Forget it mom! If he doesn't want me here I'll leave." Alec screamed before exiting, Magnus only a few paces behind.

"Alec honey, wait!" His mother called, but he didn't listen. "Alec please! Alexander!"

Despite the fact that his mother continued to call for him Alec strode out of the Institute without another word. He had nothing left there.


	33. Something Fun

"Alec?" Magnus said to get the boy's attention as they hurried down the street.

"Yeah?"

"Let's go do something." Magnus suggested.

"Like what?" Alec asked, turning to look at Magnus.

"We could go pick out some stuff for the baby. I know it's early but that stuff with your parents sucked and we could both stand to do something kinda fun."

"Can we?" Alec asked eagerly. The idea of going around picking out things for the baby was exciting, it made the whole thing feel a little more real. Alec had to admit he'd had a little trouble thinking of the baby as real due to the lack of any physical signs outside of nausea and some weight gain. He'd hoped that starting to gather things for the little one would help with that feeling. Actually asking Magnus to go with him to do this had been hard for him however, Alec knew that the baby would be expensive. Because he had no money of his own to contribute he couldn't help but feel like asking would be placing a financial burden on Magnus.

"Sure." Magnus answered casually, not having any idea how much it meant to Alec. "There's a little shop next to a store I buy incense and herbs from that always has baby furniture in the front window." He said. He stopped to look around and orient himself then pulled Alec in the correct direction.

"So are we going to clean out the spare room or put the baby in with us?" Alec questioned as they walked.

"Obviously the bassinet will be in our room but after that I thought the spare room could be a nursery. Would you like the baby in our room? Because we can do that if you'd prefer." He replied.

Alec shrugged his shoulders, he hadn't given it much thought. "We can make the spare room a nursery."

"Well, we'd better pick out some paint then, a crib, there's no shelves in there so we need to get some, dresser, oh, and a changing table."

"Wow, that's a lot." Alec said, drawing in a shaky breath. Magnus only shrugged.

"I guess, but whatever our baby needs it shall get."

Alec beamed when he heard those words pass over Magnus's lips. Every time he mentioned the baby so lovingly it caused Alec's heart to swell. He was still a little unsure about the situation and his boyfriend's clear love for their child was like an anchor in a sea of worries.

"Over here." Magnus nodded in the direction of a strip of small shops nestled between large buildings. They walked across the street hurriedly to avoid the New York traffic. "You'll love it, the stuff in here is absolutely adorable." He gushed, opening the door for Alec. His boyfriend just smiled and shook his head a little.

The store was small and bright on the inside and appeared to boast everything one could need for a baby in the small space. An attendant bounced up to the pair of them.

"Hi I'm Rachael, can I help you find anything today?" She asked sweetly. Alec just stammered a little while Magnus pulled a pen out of his pocket and started writing a list of things they needed on his arm. "Are you shopping for a friend or relative?" Rachael asked helpfully when she saw the men's faces.

"Actually, we're going to be having our first." Magnus said. Rachael looked thoroughly confused for a moment and looked over at Alec. He mouthed the word "surrogate" and she nodded with a smile.

"Congratulations!" She said. "So when is the baby due? What do you need now?"

"Due in the middle of July and we really have no idea where to start." Alec told the bubbly sales girl.

"Well, I've been working here about two years and I can tell you that one thing parents never think about is blankets and bedding. I mean yeah they get some but babies are messy and they're always coming in with their one month old buying more."

"Sounds like a place to start." Magnus said.

"Great, the newborn blankets are over here and the crib sheets. Do you have a crib?" She questioned.

"Not yet." Alec told her shaking his head.

"Would you like to look at some or are we going to hold off on that for now?" Rachael asked.

"Can we look?" Alec whispered in his boyfriend's ear.

"Of course." He replied, kissing Alec on top of the head. "We'd like to look at cribs first I think." He told Rachael.

"Excellent! Right over here." Rachael led them off to the back wall and Alec was swept up in a whirlwind of pastel and baby animals.


	34. Boy or Girl?

Magnus pulled the last of their purchases out of the bright green bags and spread them out with the others on the floor of the newly cleaned out spare room. The bags had been living on the bedroom floor for nearly a month but Alec had finally put his foot down when he'd tripped over them while running to be sick that morning. He'd caught himself but still, he was sixteen weeks now and his symptoms were only worsening as he got farther along. Walking around the things for the nursery all the time was getting tedious. So while he napped Magnus had been assigned the task of cleaning out the room.

"It looks good." Alec said, joining Magnus on the spare room floor.

"Thank you." Magnus said, flashing him a smile. "How are you feeling today?"

"Good. I've been feeling the baby shifting around a lot today."

"That's great. Catarina says it's an excellent sign that the baby is active."

"Yeah Magnus, I was there." He reminded his boyfriend gently. Magnus chuckled and turned back to the crib he was assembling.

"Guess you were."

"So are you sure you don't want to know the gender?" Alec asked for the thousandth time since the last doctor's appointment two days ago. He'd had Catarina tell him but Magnus insisted he didn't want to know.

"No. I'm going to wait until at least eighteen weeks the way the pregnancy booklet said." He answered determinedly.

"Why?" Alec questioned.

"It could be wrong."

"She used a spell."

"It could still be faulty."

"Then you do the spell and check. If you get the same result she did we'll know it's for sure."

"Why's that?"

"Because you're the High Warlock of Brooklyn, you don't make mistakes. Besides Catarina is a good Warlock too, if you check then the two best warlocks in Brooklyn will have done the spell."

"Is it that important to you that I know?" Magnus asked with a sigh.

"Not really but it's killing me a little bit not saying anything." Alec replied.

"If I must, then I will." Magnus said like it was some sort of inconvenience. Alec just rolled his eyes, he knew his boyfriend couldn't wait to find out what they were having. He was just worried about being wrong.

Magnus bit his lip for a second then reached out a hand and slipped it under Alec's shirt. A white light, similar to what the initial pregnancy test had looked like, appeared around his hand and after a long minute it changed color.

"Whoa." Magnus said, shocked.

"Not what you were expecting?" Alec said with a smile, he'd known Magnus would be thrilled.

"Nope." Magnus admitted. He pulled his hand away from Alec and stared in wonder at the shining blue light surrounding his hand.

"Congratulations daddy." Alec gave his boyfriend a peck on the cheek.

"A son." The warlock said, still in shock.

"A son." Alec confirmed.

"I really thought it was going to be a girl."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Did you want a girl?" Alec asked a little sadly.

"I didn't really have a preference, it was just a feeling." Magnus said with a shrug. He turned back to the instructions for the crib. "Can't figure this thing out." He muttered.

"Magnus you're so obvious." Alec commented.

"How so?" The warlock questioned without looking up.

"You always change the subject when something's bothering you."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"I do not!"

"You do, what's wrong? Talk to me baby."

"What am I going to do with a boy?" Magnus asked softly.

"What do you mean?" Alec asked, scooting over to put an arm around Magnus's waist.

"I'm not exactly masculine Alec. I apply eyeliner like a pro but I have no idea how to throw a football. What if he wants to throw a football?"

"I can teach him how to throw a football."

"Then what do I get to teach him?" Magnus's eyes began to get misty.

"You get to teach him lots of important things Magnus."

"Like what? How to pick yourself up after you get beat up on the playground because your dads are gay?"

"Yeah. Someone is probably going to have to teach him that, and I can think of no one more qualified than a man who is the very definition of resilience. You're are going to teach our son so much about courage, self-confidence, and being a good man. I'm so glad this baby has you for a father." Alec told his love. Both of them were crying now, the half assembled crib completely forgotten.

"I love you so much." Magnus told him, placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

"I love you more." Alec replied, returning the kiss.

"We've got a problem."

"What's that?"

"I got pink paint."

"Crap."


	35. Telling Jace

**A/N Aww, you guys! Thanks for all the sweet reviews I got for the past two chapters. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers.**

The day after Magnus found out the gender Alec found himself sitting in Taki's waiting for Jace. He had after much deliberation decided to tell his brother about the baby, which was now due in only five short months. While he waited he adjusted his jacket for the hundredth time to make sure it was adequately concealing the now somewhat obvious baby bump.

"Hey bro." Jace said. Startled, Alec knocked over his water glass onto the table. He rushed to clean it up as Jace slid into the booth across from him. The two men piled napkins onto the spill until they were satisfied it had all been absorbed.

"Sorry, you surprised me." Alec told him.

"Don't worry about it, no harm done." Jace said. "So, what's up?"

"Magnus and I got some exciting news about two months ago and we thought it was time to share it with you." Alec began his pre-prepared speech.

"What's that?" Jace asked.

"Magnus and I are going to be parents."

"You're adopting a kid? That's awesome! Is it a Mundie kid or a warlock or what?"

"Um, no we aren't adopting."

"You didn't get somebody pregnant did you?"

"No! Well…actually, kind of."

"Kind of?" Jace said, lifting an eyebrow.

"I'm pregnant…surprise."

Jace laughed. Alec couldn't really blame him, it probably sounded like a joke.

"I am serious." Alec told him after a moment.

"Excuse me?" Jace said, still trying to contain laughter.

"I was born with both male and female sex organs. My parents chose to raise me as a boy and that is the gender that I identify with but," He shrugged. "Stuff happened and there were some weird warlock experiments and now I'm pregnant."

"You're serious?" Jace asked. In response Alec moved to Jace's side of the booth and unzipped his jacket to reveal the bump. "Whoa." Jace said. "Can I?" He asked holding out a hand.

"Of course." Alec replied. Jace put his hand over Alec's abdomen.

"It's all hard." Jace commented.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool." Alec said.

"When is it going to come?"

"I've got five months left."

"You're already so big!" Jace exclaimed. Alec frowned, looking down. Yeah he was wearing a black maternity t-shirt but he wasn't _that_ big, was he?

"Do you know what it's going to be?" Jace asked, pulling Alec's attention away from his size.

"It's a boy."

"Awesome." Jace said with a smile. He was quiet for a moment and then his face fell.

"Is this why Robert... told us you wouldn't be around anymore?" Jace asked quietly.

"I didn't know about that, but, probably yeah."

"I figured it was because of you not going on hunts anymore, which I assume is also because of this."

"Yeah, it's not really safe right now. He was angry, but he didn't even have time to bring that up. He told me I wasn't his son anymore." Alec informed his adoptive brother.

"I'm really sorry. What about Maryse?"

"I don't know, she wasn't happy. In fact she called Magnus a monster, but she didn't really say much to me."

"Maybe she'll come around."

"Maybe."

"Who else knows about the baby?"

"You, me, Magnus, mom and dad, and Isabelle. That's everyone who knows, well and Catarina, the warlock who's taking care of me." Alec said.

"Are you going to tell the rest of our friends?"

"I need too, eventually they'll notice if I either disappear or suddenly look pregnant."

"When are you going to do it?"

"I don't know, soon. I figure I'll get everybody together somewhere to do it."

"If you want, everyone is going to Luke and Jocelyn's for pizza and movies tonight for Maia's birthday."

"Has Maia been staying with them?" Alec asked, he'd missed a lot these past couple of months.

"Yeah, off and on." Jace informed him. "You could tell everyone tonight."

"I don't know, I don't want to steal Maia's night from her."

"Trust me, she would not mind at all." Jace said with a scoff. "She tried everything to get out of it."

"That sounds like her." Alec laughed.

"We're all meeting up around six at their house, even if you don't want to tell tonight you should come hang out." Jace told him.

"I definitely will." Alec assured him. "I've got to go though, I promised Magnus I'd be home to help with the nursery this afternoon."

"No problem. I'll see you tonight."

"Bye."

"See ya soon."


End file.
